Taking into account the fact that the Publication Bureau of Panjab University (PU) has not come up with good quality publications for many years,authorities have decided to revamp the printing house this year. The PU senate today announced that a budget of Rs 1 crore has been set aside for setting up a modern printing press inside the publication bureau this year. We have constituted a committee to finalise the procedure of improvising the printing house. We have been considering the matter for long, said Vice-Chancellor R C Sobti,while addressing the senators today. One of the senators pointed out that the publications of a University indicate the quality of research being conducted by it,but the Publication Bureau of PU,apart from printing and reprinting textbooks,has not come up with good quality publications in the past few years. The senators also said that PU should take inspiration from other universities in the region,including Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) Amritar and Panjabi University Patiala,in promoting the Publishing house. Shelley Walia,from Department of English pointed out that the Bureau should have an organised set-up. It should be headed by a director and also have an editorial board. It should function like a Department and all the faculty members should be a part of the Bureau, said Prof Walia. The manuscripts of books come to the Bureau after being recommended by the Board of Studies,which also appoints an editor and a reviewer. The manuscripts are then sent to the Bureau. The price of the book is around two and a half times the cost and is sold at a heavy discount to booksellers. The royalty paid to the author is 15 per cent of the profit from the annual sales after the cost of the book is recovered.
