Guru Kashi University- A Profile

Guru Kashi University has been set up under the aegis of Balaji Educational Trust, Talwandi Sabo. The Trust is the outcome of farsightedness of a group of eminent visionaries, educational promoters and social activists. The origin of the University can be traced back to the year 1998 when the Trust set up its first institute, Guru Gobind Singh Polytechnic College, Talwandi Sabo. Since then the Trust has marched ahead on its path of educational enrichment of impoverished boys and girls of this rural dominated, socially and educationally backward agricultural hinterland of Malwa Region of Punjab. With a vision of providing professional, technical and general higher education to the youth of the area, the Trust set up Guru Gobind Singh College of Engg. & Tech. in 2001,  GGS College of Education in 2005 , and GGS Institute of IT & Research in 2006.

Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, which came into being on 12th September 2011, has been established under the Guru Kashi University Act, 2011 (Punjab Act No.37 of 2011). Presently, GGS College of Engg. & Tech., University College of Commerce & Management , University College of Computer Applications, University College of Agriculture, University College of Basic Sciences & Humanities ,University College of Physical Education are its constituent colleges.

The GKU is located at a distance of about 30 Km from Bathinda, a prominent district headquarter city of Punjab .The city of Bathinda is well connected by road to Chandigarh and both by road and rail to prominent places like Delhi, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Ambala, Jammu etc. The city will soon be on the Air Map of India. Talwandi Sabo itself is connected by road to cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar etc.

Spread over a sprawling area of about 50 acres, the University has beautifully landscaped lush green campus. The University offers a wide range of Doctorate, M.Phil, Postgraduate, Undergraduate and Diploma level courses. In addition to the students from nearby areas, the university has students from States of Haryana, Rajasthan,Delhi, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand , Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, M.P., Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and North-Eastern States.

Guru Kashi University is laying emphasis on the development of research activities in different disciplines of Engineering, Agriculture, Computer Applications, Education, Languages and Applied Sciences .The University has about 30 senior faculty members having Ph.D qualifications from reputed institutions like IIT’s, PAU etc. and all the other faculty members have post graduate qualifications and some of them are pursuing Ph.D studies. Faculty members have published about 280 research papers in International / National journals and have presented about 190 research papers in International /National Conferences. Apart from this, they have authored a number of books published by reputed publishers.

The University has well developed infrastructure, comprising administrative block, separate academic blocks for different Programmes equipped with all modern facilities. The Wi-Fi enabled campus has well furnished Class-Rooms, well equipped labs with state of the art Computer labs, Hi-tech Multi-Media and Audio-Visual facilities, Workshops, Seminar Halls, Conference Hall, Modern Central Library and Departmental Libraries, Auditorium, Separate  Common rooms for boys and girls, Cafeteria,  Playgrounds for various outdoor games and Indoor games. The University offers separate hostel facilities for boys and girls with all modern facilities and safe and secure environment with round the clock security services. The University provides to and fro transport services to its Day Scholars and staff hailing from far flung areas.

The University is surrounded by a number of industries and other institutions like Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (Bathinda), Guru Gobind Singh Oil Refinery (Bathinda), Guru Hargobind  Thermal Plant (Lehra Mohabat), National Fertilizers Ltd. (Bathinda), PAU Regional Research Station, Bathinda, State Seeds Farm, Talwandi Sabo, Talwandi Power Corporation Power Plant, Gobindpura, Kashmir Hygienic Private Limited, a Water bottling Plant ,Gobindpura etc.

With the aim of serving the rural community in diverse areas, the University also undertakes community outreach programmes. These include organizing Kisan Melas, Lok Melas, NSS camps, Rallies aimed at creating awareness among the society against social evils like drug abuse, female foeticide, violence against women, corruption etc. and sensitising them about societal issues like women empowerment, environmental protection, moral values, rich cultural heritage etc.

(The Author is VC of Guru Kashi University.)