The Punjab Cabinet on Friday approved the upgradation of ShaheedBhagat Singh State University and Sardar Beant Singh State University tostate-level universities.
The relevant Bills will be tabled in the current Budget Session ofthe Vidhan Sabha, an official spokesperson said after a meeting of the Cabinetchaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
With the enactment of the Bills, Shaheed Bhagat Singh StateTechnical Campus, Ferozepur and Beant College of Engineering & Technology,Gurdaspur, would be upgraded as Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Ferozepurand Sardar Beant Singh State University, Gurdaspur respectively.
Theup-gradation of these engineering colleges as State Universities would enableboth these institutes to start multidisciplinary courses with its existinginfrastructure, as per the needs of surrounding areas besides improving theirfinancial position.
The Finance Department has approved grant of Rs 45 crore initiallyfor the next 3 years (Rs 15 crore/year) for each of the two universities, whichwill be mentored by IIT Ropar to attract students, Technical Education MinisterCharanjit Singh Channi informed the Cabinet. The Chief Minister said thecontinuation of the grant will be reviewed after 3 years.
These two institutes, set up in 1994 by the state government, haveplayed a major role in the development of Technical Education in the borderareas of State of Punjab. They are run by the societies registered underSocieties Registration Act of 1860 and all their affairs are looked after by aBoard of Governors constituted by the State Government.