Punjab Govt to scrap Khalsa University Act

In a major decision embarrassing the erstwhile SAD-BJP Government, the Congress-led Punjab Government on Wednesday decided to scrap the Khalsa University Act, 2016 — “to save the historic 125-year-old Khalsa College”. 

The decision was taken by the State cabinet at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. 

The former Amritsar MP, Capt Amarinder had opposed tooth and nail the SAD-BJP Government’s decision to turn historic institution into the university. He had promised to protect the legacy of Khalsa College, Amritsar, which is one of oldest educational institutions in the country with a heritage status. 

The state Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal clarified that the move will not jeopardise the future of all 300 students who had already taken admission in Khalsa University. They would either be shifted to the existing Khalsa College or accommodated in some other college at par, after taking their choice into consideration, he added. 

The Cabinet has termed as “appalling” the move by the Khalsa College Society to “destroy” its heritage status by converting the institution into a university, said the spokesperson. 

Notably, the Khalsa University was established vide Khalsa University Act, 2016, by the previous SAD-BJP Government despite criticism from Amritsar residents and college alumni, the cabinet noted. 

The Cabinet decided that there was “no point establishing an additional university in Amritsar, which already had several reputed institutions of higher learning” such as Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Sri Guru Ram Dass University of Health Sciences and Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Amritsar.  Cabinet noted that taking away a chunk of land from Khalsa College to make a University will affect the existence of Khalsa College. In order to maintain the identity of Khalsa College, all the properties attached to it should be kept intact, thus also preserving its architectural grandeur and marvel.