Punjab Cabinet to relax constructed area condition for universities to promote higher education

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 17

To aggressively promote higher education in the state, the Punjab Cabinet on Thursday decided to reduce the requirement of the constructed area from 50,000 sq m to 30,000 sq m for multi-domain university, and from 20,000 sq m to 15,000 sq m for single-domain university, a press release by the state government said.

It has been decided to accordingly amend the Punjab Private University Policy, 2010, an official spokesperson said after the cabinet meeting held through video conferencing. The move will encourage the establishment of more private universities in the state, the spokesperson added.

This decision has been taken in line with the recommendations of the committee, constituted under the Chief Secretary by the Higher Education Department with the approval of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to consider the representations received from various sponsoring bodies for relaxations and amendments in various clauses of the 2010 policy for the establishment of new private universities in the state.

According to the spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office, as per provision 4.5(iv) of the aforesaid policy, the constructed area required for setting up of multi-domain university in Punjab is 50,000 sq m, which is the highest in India. Thus, the state government has decided to amend the existing provision 4.5(a)(iv) of the policy for reducing the requirement of constructed area to 30,000 sq m for multi-domain university and 15,000 sq m for single-domain university.

“The amended policy will further facilitate higher capital investments in the field of higher education and it is expected that two more universities, which have tie-ups with globally acclaimed universities, would set up campuses in Punjab,” the statement further read.

The Cabinet also gave the nod to amend the existing provision 4.3(g) of the 2010 policy, making sponsoring body eligible for setting up of private university on leased land, subject to the lease being a long-term one, for at least 33 years, from a government authority or gram panchayat.

It may be noted that the Punjab Private University Policy, 2010, had no provision for taking land on lease for setting up a university while most of the states in India have such enabling provision of land requirements.

Under the Punjab Private University Policy, 2010, aimed at bringing in private high-quality education in the higher education sector, the state government has so far approved 14 universities. Apart from these, proposals to establish four more private universities are under process.

Punjab Cooperative Audit (Group-B) service rules to be amended

Meanwhile, the Cabinet also gave the approval to amend the Punjab Cooperative Audit (Group-B) Service Rules, 2016, by merging the post of Senior Assistant (Accounts) with that of the Senior Assistants, to pave the way for promotional avenues to the Senior Assistant (Accounts) working in the Audit Wing of the Cooperative Department. These rules will come into effect from the date of notification in the Punjab Gazette.