Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan today paved the way for resumption of B.Sc (Agriculture) course and start admissions from this session in Government Barjindra College, Faridkot. The issue of this coveted college of Malwa region was hanging for the last four years.
Presiding over the meeting of officials of various concerned departments including the college administration here at the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat, S. Sandhwan said that the importance of this prestigious educational institution of Malwa region can be gauged from the fact that four to five times more youngsters used to fill the forms for admission in the agricultural course in Government Barjindra College.
It would be very unfortunate for an agrarian state, if the agriculture course in time-tested and prominent college stopped, he added. Barjindra College Principal Mrs. Hartej Kaur and Prof. Dr. Narinderjit Singh Brar informed that the State Council of Agricultural Research had asked the college administration to discontinue this four-year agricultural course in 2019 citing the conditions of the Indian Agricultural Research Council (ICAR).
The last batch of students had taken admission during the year 2019 and 2023 is the last year of this batch. If there is no admissions happen in the agriculture course in the future, it will affect the future of the aspiring students of the region, they categorically said.
S. Kultar Singh Sandhawan asked the Principal Secretary Higher Education Mrs. Jaspreet Talwar and Secretary Agriculture Mr. Arshdeep Singh Thind to make arrangements to fulfill the conditions of the ICAR so as to ensure that admissions in agricultural course in this college can be started from this session.
He said that the services of former professors and agricultural development officers can be roped in to fulfill the conditions. For fulfilling the requisite land conditions of the ICAR, the Speaker also asked Punjab Agricultural University Vice Chancellor Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal to provide 65 acres land of Krishi Vigyan Kendra Faridkot for the usage of the Government Barjindra College, to which the Vice Chancellor agreed.
Punjabi University Patiala Vice Chancellor Prof. Arvind said, the trend of discontinuing agri-based courses in government colleges of an agrarian state, which is known for food bowl of the country, is a matter of great concern.
Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included, Chairman Planning Board Faridkot S. Sukhjit Singh, MLA Faridkot S. Gurditt Singh Sekhon, MLA Jaito S. Amolak Singh, MLA Guru Harsahai S. Fauja Singh Sarari and MLA Dharamkot S. Davinderjit Singh, Ladi Dhos, Manpreet Singh Mani Dhaliwal, Master Hardeep Singh, Deepak Monga, Professor Iqbal Singh from Barjindra College and other officers of concerned departments.