AMRITSAR: A noted Punjabi scholar and Principal of historic Khalsa College, Dr. Mehal Singh was today appointed as Vice-Chancellor of newly ‘revived’ Khalsa University, Amritsar. He took charge of the office in presence of top management functionaries including Chancellor Satyajit Singh Majithia and Pro-Chancellor Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina and Governing Body Members of the Varsity.
Dr. Mehal Singh, a known educationist, having more than 35 years of teaching and administrative experience including as Principal of various institutions, was selected following a rigorous selection process by the Search and Screening Committee, constituted recently by the Governing Body of the KU. The Khalsa University which was scrapped by the previous state government was ‘revived’ by the Supreme Court of India, through its landmark judgment, pronounced on October 3, 2024, scrapping the University's Repeal Act-2017 as ‘unconstitutional’.
Meanwhile, Dr. Khushwinder, joined office as Registrar of the varsity while various Deans including Dr.Surinder Kaur was deputed as Deans, Academics, Dr.RK Dhawan as Deans, Research and Dr, Kanwajit Singh as Controller, Examinations. Chancellor Majithia while congratulating the new team said the Khalsa University (KU) would work to impart best of the professional and research education in the state.
Dr.Mehal Singh who is Ph.D in Punjabi and has written more than 22 books and 44 research papers and articles, thanked the management for imposing faith in his abilities, adding he would strenuously work to make KU one of the best institutions of higher learning. He said the focus will be setting up of new faculties, research in diverse fields and chalking out the job-oriented courses to produce best of the human resource in the country.
Pro-Chancellor RMS Chhina added that the University will benefit from the vast expertise of Dr.Mehal Singh as educationist and administrator who had been involved with various Board of Studies, Academic bodies, Principals of GNDU Constituent Colleges apart from working as Principal Khalsa College for more than nine years. He said the KU's motto is to impart best of the professional courses in emerging areas so that the students' flight to foreign countries for education is checked.
Dr.Khushwinder, Registrar and Deans Dr.Surinder, Dr.Kanwaljit Singh, Dr.Dhawan, also thanked management and promised to work tirelessly for the development and progress of the varsity and provide best value-based and industry-oriented courses. Majithia re-iterated that KU will be a multi-faculty varsity and vowed to make it a research-oriented seat of higher learning adding they would shortly open Ph.D and other graduate and post graduate programs.
An Akhand Path Bhog ceremony was earlier arranged at Gurdwara Sahib to seek the blessings of the almighty for incessant functioning of the varsity. KU Governing Body Members, Swinder Singh Kathunangal, Jatinder Singh Brar, Gunbir Singh, Ajmer Singh Heir, Khalsa College Governing Council office-bearers and members, principals of various Khalsa institutions were present.