Thapar varsity asked to continue 50 pc quota for Punjabis

Any departure from it would not be tolerated at any cost, Badal told the varsity located in Patiala, an official spokesman said here.

This decision was taken by Badal during a high-level meeting with the the Board of Governors (BOG) of Thapar Educational Trust here, he said.

Badal said the university had been provided 250 acres of land and financial assistance worth Rs 30 lakh by the state government for its establishment in 1956.

The Chief Minister said Thapar was bound to abide by the stipulated rules on provision of 50 per cent quota to the students of the state, adding that there was hardly any need for negotiating the "already settled issue."

Badal claimed the quota for the students of the state, which was once 90 per cent in the institution, has been drastically tapered off to only 50 per cent and this was "complete injustice" to them.

On apprehensions raised by the university's representatives that continuing the quota was resulting in low calibre students getting admissions, the Chief Minister asked the institution to start special coaching classes for Punjabi students and nurture talent.

The University Board had in a meeting on February 24 this year to consider admissions for the first year of undergraduate programme, made the seats available to all Indian citizens.

After the development, Badal had taken up the matter regarding the quota with Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and said the university had been provided by the state government by way of 250 acres of land and also grant-in-aid till the year 2001.

Thapar had restored the 50 per cent territorial quota "for the time being" in May, a decision which it said had been taken on the state government's persuasion.