2 days ago
Chandigarh: PU South Campus gets new girls hostel
Panjab University (PU) vice-chancellor Renu Vig inaugurated Devi Ahilyabai Hall or Girls Hostel Number 11 at its Sector 25 campus on Tuesday. Vig unveiled the plaque and participated in a community Hawan ceremony. PU currently has ten girls hostels with a capacity for around 3,500 students. (HT Photo)
The hostel's construction had been delayed in 2020 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even now, the building is not finished, and only the first two floors will be opened. As of now, the hostel will have a capacity for sixty female students, and rooms will be allocated for the new students for the 2025-26 session.
Addressing the function, V-C Vig highlighted that the hostel is named after Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, a symbol of women's leadership and empowerment. She also acknowledged the support of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) 2.0 in construction of the hostel.
The Punjab government had given around ₹50 crore for the remaining construction of the hostel and the construction of a new boys hostel in the campus, but till now the funds have not been fully dispersed. As per PU officials, there had been issues in getting the final drawing for the boys hostel approved.
Some students have also raised questions over the naming of the hostel, with many claiming why a Maratha woman was chosen over numerous examples of Punjabi women.
PU currently has ten girls hostels with a capacity for around 3,500 students. This however is not enough, and there is usually a long waiting list for all hostels as most students come to PU from other cities and the price of a hostel room is much more subsidised as compared to paying guest facilities in nearby sectors.
PU receives ₹81 lakh grant to turn farm waste into sustainable products
PU has secured a ₹81 lakh research grant from the department of science and technology (DST) to develop commercially scalable, eco-friendly composite panels made entirely from plant-based raw materials. The project seeks to replace petroleum-based binders with renewable, biodegradable alternatives.
PU V-C Vig congratulated the research team and industry collaborators, calling the grant 'a proud achievement that reinforces PU's leadership in green technology and its alignment with national and global sustainability goals'.
The project will be led by Dr SSB University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology chairperson Anupama Sharma, in collaboration with Sivalik Agro Products Private Limited, headed by GD Tyagi. The research focuses on converting agricultural residues such as rice straw, rice husk, and common reed (Phragmites) into high-performance composite materials.
