Chandigarh, September 3: With the Panjab University student elections over, Rajya Sabha member Satnam Singh Sandhu has called upon the newly elected student council to focus on student welfare, employment, innovation and campus development, saying the real test of its mandate would be its ability to deliver solutions on the ground.
Sandhu made the remarks during a meeting with newly elected Panjab University Campus Students Council president Ankit Bidhan and other youth leaders. He also announced ₹50 lakh assistance from his MPLADS fund for priority welfare and student facilities at the university.
Sandhu said the university should submit proposals identifying urgent student requirements, after which eligible projects could be taken up under MPLADS rules.
He felicitated Ankit Bidhan with a Phulkari and congratulated the ABVP team on its second consecutive victory in the campus elections.
According to Sandhu, the election outcome reflects some of the emerging priorities among young people, particularly their focus on employment, innovation, startups, modern technology and new opportunities.
“Today’s youth is politically and socially aware. They listen to different ideas, evaluate performance and take decisions keeping in mind the needs and possibilities of their future. The beauty of democracy is that students express their priorities through their votes,” he said.
Sandhu said the election result could be viewed as an indication of support among a section of PU students for the vision of a developed India and the opportunities-oriented agenda associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the same time, he cautioned that a university election could not be treated as a substitute for the verdict of the entire population of Punjab.
A major part of the meeting focused on translating the new council’s election manifesto into concrete initiatives. The possibility of introducing e-rickshaws or e-carts for safer and easier movement of girl students across the large campus was discussed.
Plans for a large-scale job fair, strengthening the university’s startup ecosystem and setting up a Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence and Deep-Tech were also considered.
Sandhu said he would seek coordination with relevant ministries and institutions of the Government of India to support initiatives aimed at expanding career and innovation opportunities for PU students.
“PU students should not only leave with a degree, but also open avenues for them to move forward in employment, entrepreneurship, innovation and futuristic technologies. Panjab University should become a strong platform to convert the hopes and aspirations of the youth into real opportunities,” he said.
Sandhu also stressed the importance of strengthening the Punjabi Department, saying it had made an important contribution to Punjabi literature and the cultural heritage of Punjab. He called for efforts to connect Punjabi, Punjabiyat and the state’s rich literary legacy with the younger generation.
Urging the new student council to rise above electoral politics, Sandhu said it was now the representative body of the entire PU student community. He called for all ideological and student groups to be taken along and for dialogue, harmony and a constructive campus environment to be promoted.
