Panjab University Organised Seminar Cum Discussion for Building the Village- University Connect

Chandigarh, 30 September 2026: Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh organised a seminar-cum round table discussion under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) program, bringing together eminent academics, researchers, rural development experts, educationists, NGOs policymakers and representatives from rural communities to deliberate and workout different strategies and ways to connect the villages and rural communities and the higher education institutions.
The inaugural session featured a keynote address by Director and National Consultant for IIT Delhi, Prof. P.K. Singh while NITTTR Chandigarh, Ministry of HRD, Government of India, Prof. Upendra Nath Roy also addressed the gathering.
Director, Research and Development Cell and Coordinator, RUSA, PU, Prof. Savita Gupta delivered the inaugural address.The programme brought together distinguished experts from diverse fields to facilitate an interdisciplinary dialogue on contemporary rural development. The deliberations focused particularly on the socio-economic and cultural dynamics of villages in the context of contemporary development discourse, as well as the interconnected questions of education, gender and inclusive development.
Prof. P.K. Singh spoke about bridging the gap between HEIs and the rural villages through participatory approach. Prof. Upendra Nath Roy mentioned about the multiple initiatives undertaken by NITTTR, Chandigarh. Prof. Savita Gupta shared her views about the vision of industries and the idea of being human-centric.The village representatives were felicitated at the end of the session. A vote of thanks was extended by Dr. Sumandeep Kaur.
The inaugural session was followed by a panel discussion on the theme “Socio-Economic and Cultural Dynamics of a Village in Contemporary Development Discourse.” experts with extensive experience in education, rural infrastructure, agriculture, economics and cultural studies.
The panel included Prof. Krishna Kumar, former Director, NCERT; Head, Centre for Rural Infrastructure, NIRDPR, Hyderabad, Prof. R. Ramesh; Agricultural expert and a journalist, Dr. Devinder Sharma; Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi, Prof. Jyoti Dalal; and Department of English and Cultural Studies, PU, Prof. Akshaya Kumar.
The esteemed panellists shared their insightful experiences and visions about villages, farmers and agricultural development.The experts shared their critical thoughts about budget allocation for agriculture and rural development. He highlighted the disconnect of youth from the villages and rural communities. They asserted the idea of understanding rural life.
All expressed their concern about the disconnect between rural communities and academia in the universities’ Devinder Sharma endorsed upon the allocation of budgetary provisions for agriculture to uplift rural life.
The seminar further featured a round-table discussion on ‘Rethinking Rural Transformation: Education, Gender and Inclusive Development,’ coordinated by Prof. Paru Bal Sidhu and Dr. Sumandeep Kaur, with Prof. Kuldip Puri, Retired Professor, Department of Education, USOL, Panjab University, serving as Chair.
The round table brought together scholars and practitioners from education, economics, political science, sociology, public administration, social work and other disciplines. The discussions highlighted the need to understand rural transformation not merely through economic indicators but also through the perspectives of education, social inclusion, gender relations, cultural change and the lived experiences of rural communities.
Prof Satvinderpal Kaur shared about the insights related to the rural community which they have experienced during their survey of adopted villages.All the sessions were focused on largely dialogue and question/ answer sessions
The seminar concluded with a valedictory session addressed by Prof. R. Ramesh and Vice Chancellor PU, Prof. Meenakshi Goyal was the Chief Guest. Dr. Sumandeep, Department of English and Cultural Studies PU, presented the seminar report, followed by the vote of thanks by Prof. Satvinderpal Kaur, Department of Education, PU.
Among the participants were Prof. R.S. Ghuman, former Professor of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala; Prof. Ashutosh, Department of Political Science, Panjab University; and Prof. Kumool Abbi, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Sociology, Panjab University. Representatives from educational institutions, rural communities and civil society also participated in the discussion.
The seminar provided a platform for meaningful academic and community engagement on the evolving nature of rural India and encouraged dialogue on approaches that can contribute to more inclusive and sustainable processes of rural development.