In order to provide skill-based training to students,200 community colleges will be set up in Punjab and Chandigarh,as Panjab University (PU) accepted the proposal based on the 12th five year plan document of the government of India. The decision was taken in the PU Syndicate meeting held on Saturday,which was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor,Professor Arun Kumar Grover. The proposal has been accepted in-principle under National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework,which has been accepted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Chandigarh has been allocated one community college,which is likely to be with the Postgraduate Government College (co-ed),Sector 11. The community colleges will provide skill-based training to students by offering various vocational courses. Skill development will form the main objective of the colleges. A committee of five members has been formed to recommend the finer details of implementation and due approval. The committee members include Dr Jagwant Singh,Professor Keshav Malhotra,Dr R P S Josh,Directorate of Public Instructions (DPI),Chandigarh and DPI,Punjab. A community college recognizes the need for community based learning,and caters to students who seek more than the formal academic knowledge. Community colleges give students an opportunity to enroll in various vocational courses and skill based programs. Students in these colleges will be able to gain skills that will better prepare them for the workplace and potential job openings. The Syndicate meeting,which lasted for more than eight hours,was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor,Professor Arun Kumar Grover. During it,as many as 57 agenda items were discussed. Among the major decisions made was the approval of the names of Professor Navdeep Goyal as the Dean,Students Welfare (DSW),Professor Nandita Singh as DSW (Women),Professor Neelam Grover as the Dean,Alumni Relations and Professor Gurmail Singh as Dean,International Students. The Syndicate also appreciated the work done by the present DSW Professor A S Ahluwalia and Prof K K Mahajan. Discussing the issue of admissions in its affiliated colleges,the Syndicate decided to allow more seats in various courses in its affiliated colleges. It was decided that colleges having 40 or more seats in a course would be allowed to have five additional seats subject to a maximum of ten seats in a college,while only ten per cent additional seats will be allowed in courses having less than forty seats. The Vice-Chancellor also agreed to follow up on the matter of increasing the retirement age of the university officials from 60 to 62 years after the issue was raised in the meeting. In a piece of good news for students,the Syndicate also approved the sanction of Rs 42.97 lakh for re-carpeting of students and staff parking area at University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET). The Syndicate sanctioned Rs 28 lakh for installation of the second elevator at Boys Hostel Number 8. However,at the same time,the Syndicate approved the proposed a hike in the hostel fees for students of the university.
