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• On the lines of AICTE, University will give Rs.3.5 lakh to each college for FDPs
• The higher education system is passing through a transformational phase; trained faculty can train students towards quality manpower”: PSTE cum VC Rahul Bhandari IAS

Jalandhar/Kapurthala/Chandigarh I.K Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU) has decided to invest further in its affiliated colleges towards quality education & to fulfill the need of the hour. University offered financial assistance to its affiliated colleges to enrich their faculty. The university has made this offer on the lines of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Under this offer, the college, who are running UGC (University Grants Commission) courses, may get financial assistance to organize special faculty development programmes. The Vice Chancellor cum Principal Secretary, Department of Technical Education and Industrial Education (PSTE) Mr. Rahul Bhandari, IAS, has described this initiative as a boon for hundreds of colleges affiliated to the University. He said that due to paucity of funds many colleges were not able to organize special programs to upgrade their faculty. They were not able to invite high level trainers, who are from higher educational institutions in the country and abroad, for training. This financial assistance will help these colleges to make their faculty prosperous and more capable. This proposal of the university was placed in the first meeting of the College Development Council (CDC) held recently in the university main campus.

IAS Bhandari said that the higher education system is passing through a transformational phase to cope up with the global trends and needs of the industry. A trained workforce is required for the industry and that may be able to contribute to the industrial growth of the country. Quality teachers are required to produce a qualified and trained workforce. He further shared that AICTE has taken an initiative to promote the colleges to conduct the faculty development program for AICTE courses only, but the need of the UGC colleges were also more urgent.

Mr. Rahul Bhandari as Vice Chancellor cum the Chairman of the Council has taken this demand very seriously. He said that it is the responsibility of the University to bring world-class faculty of colleges of Punjab to complement the changes in the teaching and learning methods.

The need for highly qualified, skilled teachers is of paramount importance to produce qualified and trained personnel. Keeping this in mind, the university has taken this decision, in which financial assistance of up to 3.5 lakh per college will be given for FDPs. According to the policy of AICTE, a grant of about seven lakh rupees is given for organizing a two-week Faculty Development Program (FDP) for the faculty of AICTE colleges. In this sequence, the university will give half (3.5 lakh) rupees while the rest will be spent by the college.

The CDC meeting was commanded by University Registrar Dr. S.K Mishra as a member, while Director College Development Dr. Balkar Singh forwards the agenda of the meeting. Issues like introduction of new courses, NBA/NAAC workshops, and special quota for foreign students were mentioned in various agendas. Registrar Dr. S.K Mishra apprised the principals of various colleges, who came to the meeting, about the special campaign being done by the university in the new academic session, focusing on quality admissions as well as the special work being done by the university for admission.