Punjab govt repeals law, scraps Khalsa University in Amritsar
CHANDIGARH:The Punjab government led by Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday promulgated an order to repeal the Khalsa University Act, 2016, with a view to protecting the heritage character of Khalsa College, Amritsar.
The promulgation orders were issued here by governor VP Singh Badnore under clause (1) of Article 213 of the Constitution, thereby implementing a decision taken in April by the state cabinet and also the chief minister’s promise to protect the glorious legacy of the 125-year-old Khalsa College.
According to a press release by the CM’s office, the ordinance provides that admission to the affected students shall be given in other appropriate educational institutions of the state as per their eligibility.
Higher education minister Aruna Chaudhary said the Khalsa College, Amritsar, had, over a period of time, become a significant icon of Khalsa heritage, and the university established in 2016 is likely to shadow and damage its character and pristine glory.
The state cabinet, during its April meeting, had decided to ensure that the students are accommodated in some other college at par, after taking their choice into consideration, to ensure that the future of the 300 students already admitted in the university is not jeopardised.
The ordinance, called the Khalsa University (Repeal) Ordinance, 2017, will come into force on and with effect from the date of its publication in the official gazette.
Khalsa University, Amritsar, was established through the Act by the previous SAD-BJP alliance government despite huge criticism from not only the residents of Amritsar but also from the alumni of the college and intellectuals of the state, said the press release. Amarinder had all along maintained that the move by the Khalsa College Society to destroy its rich heritage status by converting this prestigious institution into University was appalling, it added.
The government also felt that there was no point in establishing an additional university in Amritsar, which already had several reputed institutions of higher learning.
While the Guru Nanak Dev University has won wide acclaim and recognition at the national level, Sri Guru Ram Dass University of Health Sciences and the Indian Institute of Management, Amritsar, were also among institutions of national repute, added the press note.