Pbi varsity neglecting its core departments

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">PATIALA: The Forum for Educational Reforms and Action, on Wednesday, claimed that Punjabi University was neglecting its core departments. These include Guru Granth Sahib Studies, Guru Gobind Singh department of comparative religion, department of Punjab historical studies, department of Punjabi development, department of Punjabi literary studies and the department of Punjabi lexicography.While the university authorities have decided to make Guru Granth Sahib as the main theme of every conference or seminar to be organised in 2004, the department is on the verge of closure.<br /><br />The forum president, Amarjit Singh Dhillon, said that there was only one professor (a promotee) Dr Gurnam Kaur, who is retiring in next March, and one lecturer Dr Sarabjinder Singh in the department of Guru Granth Sahib Studies. The post of professor is lying vacant since March 2002 after Dr Balkar Singh’s retirement. Two promotee readers Dr Gurdev Kaur and Dr Shamsher Singh retired in January 2002 and another reader Dr Balvir Kaur in April 2002. The post of honorary professor as well as visiting professors is also lying vacant.<br /><br />Expressing his deep concern, Dhillon said the condition of other core departments was no different. In Guru Gobind Singh department of comparative religion, the post of professor of Buddhism, professor of Islam, professor of Christianity and professor of Jainism were lying vacant. At present, there were only three promote professors, two of Sikhism and one of Hinduism.<br /><br />Dhillon said, "There is no post of professor in the prestigious department of Punjab historical studies. The only professor (a promotee) of this department, Dr P B S Sidhu, was made registrar at the cost of the department where Dr Ganda Singh, Dr Fauja Singh, Dr S S Bal and Dr Kirpal Singh had academically adorned the department from time to time."<br /><br />The university spokesman, Dr Baldev Singh, said that the vice-chancellor was leaving no stone unturned to strengthen all the academic disciplines. He said posts had already been advertised for these departments which would be filled after the code of conduct was over. He said that the V-C had many times requested the concerned departments to suggest names of eminent scholars of repute in their respective areas so that efforts could be made to bring these scholars to the university.<br /><br /><formid=526372></formid=526372></div> </div>