Punjabi University - Facilities and Achievements

Facilities and Achievements

• Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha Central Library is a hub of academic and research activities. It is housed in a spacious modern building, stocks more than 415,000 books and subscribes to several hundred journals. Latest books are added regularly. The library is kept open for 360 days of the year from 8.15 a.m. to 8.15 p.m. The library has a majestic reading hall, which has a capacity for 400 readers where they can sit and consult reference books and other relevant literature. A separate air-conditioned hall for using the personal books and a Reading Room has been provided at the ground floor. One night Reading Room remains open from 8.00 p.m. to 12.00 p.m. To further modernize university library services, it is being computerized.
  • Ganda Singh Punjabi Reference Library, which is an integral part of the library, is housed in a new building interlinked with the main building for the convenience of the staff and the users. This part of the library has 41,548 books on Punjabi Language, Literature, Punjab History and Culture.
  • The University Library is maintains libraries in some of the departments at the campus, Extension Library at S.A.S.Nagar (Mohali), and a Library at Regional Center Bathinda. Besides, Balbir Singh Sahitya Kendra, Dehradun has a rich library containing rare books and manuscripts.
• The Computer Center has established a local area network and all departments enjoy the facilities of Internet and e-mail through this network. The Computer Center and all teaching departments are equipped with the latest computers and software.
• Students are encouraged to take active part in sports. Well-maintained sports grounds and facilities for games such as hockey, football, cricket, basketball, volleyball, athletics, etc. and well as indoor games are provided. The Punjabi University has a large gymnasium and a hall for indoor games. It is one of the very few institutions in India to possess its own velodrome. The Youth Welfare Department organizes activities all year round. The Punjabi University has won unique distinctions in youth festivals organized by the school's Association of Indian Universities in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, government of India, and other events. Punjabi University was awarded the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for excellence in sports in year 2006-07.
• The university has won overall second position in National Inter-University Youth Festival, won overall championship in North Zone Inter-University Youth Festival many times, has won overall championship in Punjab State Inter-University Youth Festival repeatedly and has won overall championship many times in All India Inter-University Punjabi Cultural Festival. Students of Punjabi University have had the privilege of representing India in the festivals of India held in the former USSR, Mauritius, Spain, China, Germany and U.A.E. (Dubai). Apart from the above-mentioned activities, the Department of Youth Welfare organizes hiking, trekking, mountaineering and rock climbing courses, holds youth leadership training camps, prepares the students for participation in All India Level Youth Festivals, organizes Rotract Club, Young Cultural Club, Lee Club and Youth Club. It organizes Yoga Training Camps for the benefit of students of the university teaching departments and colleges. The department publishes the Yuvak Sabha Magazine and holds literary and cultural competitions.
• The National Service Scheme being implemented by the NSS Department helps students to participate in different programs of social service and national development.
• A well equipped Health Center with qualified physicians and paramedical staff is at the service of the students round the clock. The center has an x-ray unit and a laboratory for medical tests. The center has an AIDS awareness wing. Students are entitled to free medical aid by the University Health Center. The Health Center is equipped with basic necessary and modern equipment.
• The transport department runs a fleet of buses for linking the campus to parts of Patiala city.
• There are three residential hostels for boys and four residential hostels for girls. The hostels have all modern amenities for comfortable living for 4000 students. In addition to this, separate boys and girls hostel for engineering college have started functioning.
• To keep pace with global thought processes and for updating of contemporary consciousness, every year the university has undertaken series of lectures, seminars and conferences. To make the university a vibrant global center for Punjabi language, literature and culture, a new faculty of Arts and Culture has been created. Originality and authenticity in the pursuit of Sikh Studies is another area which is receiving more attention and energy. Balbir Singh Sahitya Kendra Dehradun is being developed as an Advanced Center for Sikh Studies. Punjabi University has established the first ever overseas center for teaching of Punjabi as a foreign language at Espanola, New Mexico.
• All the departments are involved to promote research culture and spirit. Most of the departments have been able to mobilize additional research funding from UGC, DST, CSIR, Planning Commission, government departments and other official funding agencies. Some science departments have been able to develop research tie-ups with industry and have undertaken several consultancy assignments. Several faculty members have won national and international awards in recognition to their research work.
• The university has developed a particular expertise in Sikh Studies and Punjabi Historical Studies. Concerted efforts are being done in developing a translation programme in Punjabi and English. To develop an association with the outstanding scholars in Punjabi language, literature and culture, the university offers Life Fellowships, Senior Fellowships and Fellowships to the eminent scholars in these fields.
• To ensure academic freedom, the departments organize seminars, symposia, conferences and workshops every year. The teachers are encouraged to participate in national and international seminars through liberal funding. Many teachers are invited to deliver plenery lectures and preside over the sessions at seminars and conferences.
• The university established its own publication bureau which is actively engaged in publishing research work of the academic community. More than 2000 titles have been published.
• A very large number of students of this university hold key positions in departments of the government of India and state government, premier institutes such as IIT’s, BARC, CSIR research laboratories, universities in India and abroad and research laboratories in developed countries like USA, Canada, U.K. etc.
• The teachers have guided thousands of Ph.D. scholars and have published enumerable research papers in National and International journals of repute. The departments of Physics, Botany, Economics and Punjabi have been bought under the UGC’s SAP/COSIST/DRS programmes.
• The Punjabi University takes pride in the achievement of Five Star status awarded by the NAAC, an autonomous body of the UGC, after a thorough evaluation of research projects undertaken and in the pipeline. The NAAC team had an exhaustive interface with the faculty teaching departments.