Reviewing the Kurukshetra University in Haryana

In the composite state of Punjab, the Government of India set up a residential University at Kurukshetra. The site was chosen for it's historical connection with the Mahabharta. Also there was a need for a university in this region of undivided Punjab. Kurukshetra is 156 km from Delhi on the Delhi-Ambala Grand Trunk road. One has to take a turn from a place called Pipli on the GT road to reach Kurukshetra which is about 12 km from there.

I studied at this university in the late sixties and seventies and graduated with honours in Physics. The University at that time was a fully residential university and had a set of wonderful hostels for both boys and girls. With the creation of the state of Haryana in 1966 as a sequel to the Akali party's agitation for a Punjabi Suba, the importance of this university increased greatly.

To start with, the University from being a purely residential one also became an affiliated university and it's jurisdiction was extended to other parts of Haryana also. The Jurisdiction of the earlier Punjab University was ended.

This seat of learning has made a name for itself in the field of Education in North India.It has departments of Pure and Applied Sciences as well as literature and Humanities. One of the significant aspects of this University is the propagation of Sanskrit. In fact this was part of the charter when the Government established this seat of learning. Thus the study of Sanskrit is mandatory for all students who have to obtain qualifying marks in this language. The standard is of high school.

This seat of learning also houses an Engineering college. It's department of Indic studies is quite famous. The teaching and residential campus is set in lush fields and the university has excellent playgrounds. A lot many athletes from Haryana are products of this university.

The Kurukshetra university also had a tie up with Zee education, but it fizzled out as Zee education folded up. But it was an exciting effort to try and have a pan India reach.

The hostels of this seat of learning are perhaps some of the best. Students are given cubicles and that caters for healthy study. However when I was at the college there, the hostels had no fans there and students were expected to bring their own fans. Which was frankly quite silly.

The kurukshetra university is an important seat of learning in Haryana. Many students from Delhi and big cities come to study here. One can't be a loser in getting a degree from this university.