GNDU to establish University Regional Campus at Baba Bakala
Amritsar, February 7 (Bharatsandesh news ) – The Guru Nanak Dev University Would establish a Center on Studies in Sri Guru Granth Sahib with the cost of Rs. 4705 Lacs. This Center would be fully funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on the Long Term Basis. This Centre would be functional from this academic session.
This was announced by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ajaib Singh Brar while addressing the media person here today in the Committee Room of Vice-Chancellor's Office. Dr. B.S. Dhillon, Professor, Department of Guru Nanak Studies, Dr. MPS Ishar, Dean, Student's Welfare and Dr. Harish Chandar Sharma, Professor Incharge, Public Relations were also present. Vice-Chancellor also announced that another University Regional Campus would start functioning from July this year at Baba Bakala with the grant of Rs. 9 (nine) crore by the Government of Punjab. He said that this University campus would be developed on the pattern of Regional Campus Jalanhdar and Gurdaspur. He said that initially, courses of Electronics and Communication and Computer Sciences would be started along with the existing courses at the Govt. College, Sathiala.
It is pertinence to state that earlier, on 1st September 2004 on the occasion of Celebration of quadri-centennial celebrations of the Installation of Guru Granth Sahib Amritsar, the Hon 'ble Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh has announced in a public gathering that a Centre on Studies in Sri Guru Granth Sahib will be established at Guru Nanak Dev University
In pursuance of that, Guru Nanak Dev University submitted the proposal to the UGC and Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India in September 2004. The UGC appointed an expert committee which approved the proposal for the establishment of above Centre. During the last six years several meetings were held with the UGC and Ministry of HRD on this issue.
On assuming the charge of Vice Chancellorship of Guru Nanak Dev University, Prof. A.S.Brar took the matter with UGC authorities and followed it up vigorously with the officials of Ministry of HRD. Resultantly, now the UGC and Ministry of HRD has accepted the proposal to establish the Centre on Studies in Sri Guru Granth Sahib at Guru Nanak Dev University
Vice-Chancellor informed the media persons that this Centre would be fully funded by the UGC on long term basis. Its total budget (recurring and non recurring) during the next five years will come out to be Rs. 4705 lacs. He said UGC has already sanctioned a budget of Rupees One Crore 23 Lacs and 14 thousands.
While talking about the functioning of this Centre, he said that overall there would be one Director, six Professors, six visiting Professors, eighteen Project Fellows/JRFs in the Centre to carry on the academic work. Besides there would be technical and supporting staff to manage the library and museum.
Prof. Brar said that the Centre would have 6 Divisions i.e. Division for Studies on Interfaith Understanding, Division for Scriptural Studies, Division for Studies on Musicology, Division for Hermeneutic & Linguistic Studies, Division for Social and Cultural Studies and Division for Scriptural Translations.
He said that the proposed Centre would enjoy the full liberty in its research work. He said there would be a Director/Head with considerable knowledge of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, who would oversee its day-to-day functioning. To chalk out the scheduled academic programmes of the Centre there would be an Advisory Committee constituted by the Vice-Chancellor. It would have eminent scholars of Sikh Studies as its members. A nominee of the Chairman of University Grants Commission would also participate as a member. The Advisory Committee would meet under the Chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor of the University and would monitor the functioning and progress of the research projects, he added.
While talking about the objective of the Centre, Vice-Chancellor said that Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the essential and fundamental derivation of Sikh religion and philosophy. He said it is a unique piece of medieval Indian literature which has strong bearings on the contemporary society and politics. He said its style is a unique blend of music and poetry which is most suitable for devotional singing. Therefore to conduct research on various facets of the Sikh Scripture, an interdisciplinary and integrated approach would be followed. He said not only the recent trends in the fields of humanities and social sciences even insights from the fields of fundamental sciences would be incorporated. He said to conduct research and avoid duplicity; the Centre would work in close rapport with the universities where research work on Sri Guru Granth Sahib is being done.
He said that the governing body would have the tenure of 2 years and it would meet at least twice in a year. The budget of the centre would also be under the purview of this Governing Body.
He said that for the proper interpretation of the message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and for the dissemination of research work done on it, the publication of books in various languages of India and world would be done. Presently this work is not being done academically and in a systematic manner. He said that to facilitate the scholars interested in taking up studies on Sri Guru Ganth Sahib, research tools in the form of bibliographies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, subject indices, glossaries etc would be made available. He said the proposed centre, besides publishing this type of material, would also publish the research work done by the faculty and made it available at the international level.
While detailing more, Vice-Chancellor said that the eminent scholars who have done commendable work on Sri Guru Granth Sahib would be appointed as visiting professors and research fellows on term based projects. He said the senior scholars who can not come to join the Center would be offered off campus fellowships to complete the research projects assigned to them.
Prof. Brar said that the Centre would provide a major platform for interfaith understanding to pave the way for communal harmony. For this purpose, it would be frequently holding Symposia, Seminars and Conferences at National and International level. He said the short term orientation courses would be held where in the research work conducted by the scholars would also be made known to the participants and elaborate discussions would be held thereupon.
Dr. Balwant Singh Dhillon said that the building of this Centre would be based on Sikh Architecture and with harmony of other buildings of the University campus. He said that an Auditorium and a Conference Hall with modern infrastructure and other facilities is being proposed as an integral component of the Center for this purpose.
It is hoped, when the Centre becomes fully functional, it would be a befitting tribute to the living memory and the vision of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
