Kolkata, July28, 2021:Guru Kashi University (GKU), Bathinda, Punjab has got the distinction of a University with ‘twin accreditation’. After getting accreditation from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) which is the apex body for Accreditation in the country in the agriculture sector, GKU got accreditation for B.Sc. Agri. (Hons) Program from Punjab State Council for Agricultural Education (PSCAE) also. The Council, set up by the Punjab Government under the provisions of the Punjab State Council for Agricultural Act-2017, has been empowered to specify the minimum standards and guidelines for imparting agricultural education and training to be followed by Universities and Colleges in the State and to regulate agricultural education through grant of recognition to colleges/Universities that meet the norms and standards to run the agricultural education programmes. With this, GKU has become the first Private University of India to get twin accreditation from ICAR as well as State Government. These views were shared in the press meet held by the University at Kolkatta today which was addressed by Dr J.S Dhiman, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dr Ashwani Sethi, Director and Nodal Officer of the University.
Dr Dhiman expressed how GKU achieved the distinction of a University with a difference and elaborated that twin accreditation speaks volumes about its high academic standards, first-rate infrastructure having state-of-the art laboratories and scientific manpower besides creditable student placement record. Dr. Dhiman said that Agriculture being ‘flagship’ programme here,GKU has established a niche of creditability among regionalinstitutions. GKU is setting the creditable milestones through its best practices in academics and administration. He shared that besides Agriculture, Management, Engineering & Paramedical are the most popular courses and an attraction for students from different states of India and abroad.
Dr. Ashwani Sethi Director and Nodal officer for West Bengal Student’s Credit Card scheme said that GKU is highly preferred university for higher education in all fields among the admission seekers across the country. He affirmed “focus on quality has been the hallmark of GKU since its inception” and emphasized on the flagship programs B.Sc Agriculture (Hons) Programme, Fisheries, Nutrition & Dietetics, MBA, B.Tech, B.Pharma, and a range of job-oriented programs.
In the question answer session, while delving on how COVID-19 pandemic scenario has set a new trend in education sector in the country it was shared that GKU has initiated efforts such as shifting to online virtual programmes and offering scholarship schemes for the students of West Bengal apart from the West Bengal Student Credit Card Scheme.
Since GKU believes that there should not be a monetary roadblock in front of a student, especially for those with creativity and passion for learning it trusts that the intellectual talent of students from the West Bengal and the North East should receive equal chance for pursuing higher studies. This is in tune with the philosophy of the NobelLaureate Rabindranath Tagore, who glorified India through his scholarly verses, novels, essays, philosophy andmusic besides giving our National Anthem. He had a great connection with Punjab as he translated Aarti of Guru Nanak Dev and wrote poem on Banda Bahadur in Bangla. As a true tribute to him GKU launchesspecial provision for students hailing from West Bengal.
The GKU experts highlighted that it is on a task to equip its students with appropriate skills & practical exposure through internships and hands-on-training. Increasingly, employers expect that students have internship experience so that students come to their first job as skilled and trained persons, ready to break through their talent. In planned way, industrial training and hands on practice are the regular features at GKU. Further, the University has signed academic MOUs with organizations of national & international repute in different fields. The GKU, from this year onwards, is endeavoring to provide students with an opportunity of skill training in identified subjects at Institutions of Advanced Studies abroad.
In his wrap up remarks, Dr. Dhiman exhorted that GKU, which is catering to the technological needs of the farming community will address the constraints, concerns, and emerging issues in the face of agriculture in the country by generating skilled farm graduates and cope up with increasing demands of students in other divergent fields.