⚠ The “Nomadic” Confusion (1947–1960)
A major point of confusion arises because Panjab University was “nomadic” between 1947 and 1960. It operated from Hoshiarpur, Solan, Shimla, and Delhi before the actual Chandigarh campus (Sector 14) was built.
1. Pre-Partition Era
📍 Lahore
Studied at the original campus in Lahore before 1947.
- Dr. Hargobind Khorana Nobel Laureate Studied B.Sc & M.Sc at the Lahore campus.
- Inder Kumar Gujral Former PM Studied at Hailey College of Commerce (PU Lahore).
- Mulk Raj Anand Writer Pioneer of Indo-Anglian fiction.
- Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan 3rd CJI Key figure in Radcliffe Commission; deeply associated with Lahore admin.
- Prof. Abdus Salam Nobel – Physics Alumnus of undivided PU Lahore (Mathematics).
2. The “Interim” Era (1947–1960)
📍 Scattered
Departments scattered across Hoshiarpur, Solan, Delhi, and Amritsar. No main campus existed yet.
-
Dr. Manmohan Singh Former PM
Hoshiarpur M.A. Economics (1954) from PU College, Hoshiarpur. Later taught at Chandigarh.
-
Romila Thapar Historian
Solan / Scattered Graduated in English Lit (early 1950s) when admin was in Solan.
3. Main Campus (Post-1960)
📍 Sec 14/25, Chd
Studied specifically at university departments on the Chandigarh Campus.
- Sushma Swaraj Department of Laws.
- Kiran Bedi Department of Political Science (Masters).
- Shekhar Gupta School of Communication Studies (Journalism).
- Kirron Kher & Sunil Grover Department of Indian Theatre.
- Sukhbir Singh Badal Department of Economics (M.A.).
- Vikram Batra Department of English (M.A. – Joined but left for IMA).
4. Affiliated Colleges
📍 City Colleges
Received “Panjab University” degrees but attended classes at colleges, not the university departments.
| Alumnus | College Attended |
|---|---|
| Kalpana Chawla |
PEC (Punjab Engineering College) (Affiliated to PU then; now Deemed Univ) |
| Kapil Dev | DAV College, Sec 10 |
| Neeraj Chopra | DAV College, Sec 10 |
| Ayushmann Khurrana | DAV College, Sec 10 |
| Vikram Batra |
DAV College, Sec 10 (B.Sc) (Before joining Campus for MA) |
| Yuvraj Singh | DAV College, Sec 10 |
| Anupam Kher | Govt. College, Shimla (Dropout) → Dept of Theatre (Campus) |
Himachal Pradesh × PU Chandigarh
Alumni with deep roots in the Hills
Defense & Administration
Capt. Vikram Batra, PVC
🏔️ Palampur
PU Connect
M.A. English (1995–96). Resident of Hostel No. 1 before joining IMA.
Legacy
“The Hero of Kargil”
Swaraj Kaushal
🏔️ Solan
PU Connect
Studied Law at PU.
Legacy
Youngest Governor in India (Mizoram at 37). Negotiated Mizo Peace Accord.
Judiciary
Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan
🏔️ Nagrota, Kangra
PU Connect
Historic alumnus (Lahore era); later Fellow/Syndic of PU.
Legacy
3rd Chief Justice of India. PM of J&K during accession; Key figure in Gurdaspur partition.
Arts & Cinema
Anupam Kher
🏔️ Shimla
PU Connect
Dropped out of Govt College Sanjauli → Joined Dept of Indian Theatre.
Yami Gautam
🏔️ Bilaspur
PU Connect
Student of Law Honours before moving to Mumbai.
Ruhani Sharma
🏔️ Solan
PU Connect
Graduated from PU before entering Telugu/Hindi cinema.
Literature
Gautam Sharma “Vyathit”
🏔️ Kangra
PU Connect
M.A. in Hindi (1968).
Legacy
Sahitya Akademi Award winner; revitalized Kangri folk literature.
P.C.K. Prem (P.C. Katoch)
🏔️ Palampur
PU Connect
Post-graduation (1970).
Legacy
Former Civil Servant & celebrated author (English/Hindi).
🏛️ Panjab University (PU) Notes
1. History & Identity
- Origin: Founded in 1882 as University of the Punjab in Lahore (undivided India).
- Re-establishment: Post-partition, established in India under the Panjab University Act VII of 1947.
- Interim Period (1947-1956): Functioned without a campus from Solan, Hoshiarpur, and Shimla before moving to Chandigarh (Sector 14).
- The Name “Panjab”:
Why ‘a’ instead of ‘u’? To distinguish it from the original “University of Punjab” which remained in Lahore (Pakistan). The pronunciation is the same, but the spelling signifies the Indian institution.
2. Structure & Reach
Campus: 74 Teaching Departments & 15 Chairs/Centres.
Regional Centres (4):
Muktsar
Ludhiana
Hoshiarpur
Kauni (Rural)
Colleges Network:
- Affiliated Colleges: 202 (Spread across Punjab & Chandigarh).
- Constituent Colleges: 6 (Directly managed by PU; e.g., Ferozepur, Moga, SBS Nagar).
3. Ranking & Accreditation Analysis
| Metric | NAAC (Accreditation) | NIRF (Ranking) |
|---|---|---|
| Result | Grade A++ (3.68/4.0) | Rank 35 |
| Nature | Absolute Quality Check | Relative Race (Competition) |
| Key Strength | Institutional Values (4.0/4.0) & Research (3.73/4.0) | Perception & Output |
Why the Gap? NAAC rewards the quality of the ecosystem (Green Campus, Ethics). NIRF relies heavily on raw numbers (Faculty ratio), where PU lags behind IITs.
4. The Hall of Fame (Categorized)
🎓 Global Icons (Pre-Partition / Early Era)
🏛️ Main Campus Alumni (Chandigarh)
🏅 Affiliated College Alumni (DAV, PEC, etc.)
- Dr. Hargobind Khorana (Nobel Laureate) – Lahore Campus
- Dr. Manmohan Singh (Former PM) – Hoshiarpur College (Interim)
- Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan (3rd CJI) – Lahore Campus
🏛️ Main Campus Alumni (Chandigarh)
- Sushma Swaraj (Dept. of Laws)
- Kiran Bedi (Dept. of Pol. Science)
- Anupam Kher (Dept. of Indian Theatre)
🏅 Affiliated College Alumni (DAV, PEC, etc.)
- Kalpana Chawla (PEC – Engineering)
- Capt. Vikram Batra, PVC (DAV College – B.Sc)
- Neeraj Chopra (DAV College – Sports)
- Kapil Dev (DAV College – Cricket)
⚠️ NOT Alumni (Common Confusions):
J.P. Nadda (HPU Shimla), Bhagwant Mann (Punjabi Univ Patiala), Preity Zinta (HPU Shimla).
J.P. Nadda (HPU Shimla), Bhagwant Mann (Punjabi Univ Patiala), Preity Zinta (HPU Shimla).