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“Author : Dr. Jaswant Singh Puri , Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) , Social Activist, Punjab Rattan, Member, Dewan Family, Erstwhile Princely State of Patiala.”
- Punjabi University feels honoured to become the first university of India which has established Baba Farid Centre for Sufi Studies.
India
healthysoch
Chandigarh, May 29, 2022:
Patiala is the central hub of education where all faculties and streams are available to the aspiring students. Government Medical Collage, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Commerce College, Law College, Government College of Physical Education, Govt. Mohindra College, Multani Mal Modi College, Khalsa College, Women College are imparting quality education to the students. Punjabi University, Patiala was established on 30 April, 1962.
It is affiliated to UGC, NAAC, AIU. It is spread over 600 acres of land. It has more than 70 teaching and research departments and conducts various degree, diploma and certificate courses through distance learning. Recently Jagat Guru Nanak Punjab State Open University has signed a memorandum of understanding with the institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) for students exchange and training programme. It will help to impart knowledge and skills for academic, research and training areas.
On the recently held 39th convocation, Prof. Gagandeep Kang was honoured with Honoris Causa degree by His Highness Governor Banwari Lal Purohit and the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Arvind.
Punjabi University feels honoured to become the first university of India which has established Baba Farid Centre for Sufi Studies in its campus to promote the rich diversity and uniqueness of sufism.
It is a collegiate state public university located in Patiala, Punjab, India. It is the second university in the world to be named after a language after Hebrew University of Israel. Another well known name to be associated with Punjabi University is Sardara Singh Johal who served as Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University and Punjab Agricultural University. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2004.
There is one Avinash Chander who has been associated with art gallery and museum of Punjabi University, Patiala for about fourteen years which was initiated and inspired by the former Vice Chancellors Dr. M.S. Randhawa and Mr. Kirpal Singh Narang.
Punjabi University, Patiala has also honoured former V.C. Inderjit Kaur Sandhu by Women Studies Centre during the 13th International Conference on the theme “Women in Leadership Issues and Challenges” held on November 25, 2021. She is not the First Woman Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University but also of any university in North India in 1975. Facing many challenges both in the office and life, she had high spirits even at the age of 98. She left a void in education when she left us recently on 26 January, 2022. She was the wife of famous author Giani Gurdit Singh. She studied at Patiala’s Victoria Girls School and later did Postgraduation in Philosophy from Govt. College, Lahore. She also became the first-woman Chairperson of the Staff Selection Commission, New Delhi in 1980. She formed Mata Sahib Kaur Dal during the partition which rehabilitated over 400 families.
It is a matter of immense relief and pleasure that the Ex-Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on his visit to Punjabi University eased financial burden by allocating Rs. 150 Crore. Patiala being a royal city has also the distinction to be awarded with eminent, educated and illustrious personalities who have proved their worth immensely in their fields, may be engineering, medical science, law, sports, music, aesthetic arts, administration, food speciality, film production, promotion of culture and heritage etc.
Patiala has also flourished in Hotel Industry. Hotel Shaurya, Mohan Continental, Clarion Inn, Hotel Eqbal Inn, The Heritage Villa, Ajuba Residency have come up with well Unit parking facility. ‘Neem Rana’ hotel in Baradari Gardens speaks of its artistic touch. Besides, Garden Resort, Harbans Residency are also good hotels.
There are a lot number of established and esteemed schools in the royal city of Patiala. Yadvindra Public School was founded by His Highness Maharaja Yadvindra Singh of Patiala. It is a co-educational boarding school affiliated to ICSE Board established in 1947. British Co. Ed. School is also affiliated to ICSE Board. Buddha Dal Public School, Saint Peters Academy, Our Lady of Fatima Convent School, Ryan International School, Shivalik Public School, DAV Public School, Blossoms School, Bhupindra International School, Millennium School, Harkishan Public School are affiliated to CBSE Board, New Delhi.
Patiala has the distinction of having a personality like Kahn Singh Nabha who was born at Sabaz Banera, Patiala State. He was a Punjabi Sikh Scholar, writer, anthropologist, lexicographer and encyclopedist. His main influential work is ‘Gur Shabad Ratnakar-Mahaan Kosh’ (1930). It is his magnum opus.
The name of Shaheed Uham Singh must be remembered who sacrificed his life for the sake of the nation and sought revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919 by assassinating Michael O’ Dawyer. He was born in Sunam in 1899.
Patiala City has also contributed a lot in the field of law and the one unforgettable name is Dewan K.S. Puri. He was an eminent International Handwriting and Fingerprint expert, Chairman of Patiala Bureau of Identification. He got his education from Government Mohindra College, Patiala till 1934. He got training from various institutes of Calcutta, Phillaur, Cuttack, Trivandrum and Tokyo.
He wrote more than 9 books and 100 articles which were published in 32 languages in 28 countries. Dewan K.S. Puri even earned the appreciations and befitting remarks of the Honourable Supreme Court and High Courts as “A rare expert in the field for giving cogent, elaborate and reasoned opinions irrespective of the fact whether it goes in favour or against the party engaging him.” The American Association of Criminology conferred a fellowship on him and awarded him the tenth annual award for criminal investigation and outstanding public service in the year 1963 in recognition of his achievements.
The other awards given to him were Crusade Against Crime Award “Belgium” in the year 1968 and also ROC Police Medal Taiwan in 1981. His Excellency Governor of Punjab conferred Patiala Rattan Award posthumously at Patiala on 16 April, 2000. To honour him, Municipal Corporation, Patiala had named a road after his surname ‘Puri’ as ‘Puri Road’ starting from Arya Smaj to Treveni Chowk, Patiala.
The eminent person Dewan K.S. Puri left this world on 9 February, 1998. Punjabi University, Patiala is awarding “Dewan K.S. Puri Gold Medal” award for the M.Sc. Forensic Science topper every year in honour of the person called “The Sherlock Holmes” of India. The book “Selected Works of Dewan K.S. Puri on Disputed Handwriting and Finger Prints Comparison” has been dedicated to the Nation by the Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri Krishan Kant Ji in New Delhi. Presently, the Patiala Bureau of Identification Office is being headed by Dr. Vikram Raj Chauhan who was the associate of Dewan K.S. Puri.
The eldest son of Dewan K.S. Puri, namely Dr. Ajit Singh Puri MBBS, MD (Clinical Medicine) is a noted and eminent physician and settled at Patiala. He is the author of famous book “How to Prevent Common Diseases”. The book contains an encyclopaedia in miniature so that people at large find it easy to read and seek the true information in a result-oriented manner. He has done his specialisations in Cardiology, Applied Neurology in the United Kingdom. The book has a foreword written by Lord Walton of Detchant, TD, MA, MD, DSc, FRCP and Former Professor of Neurology and Dean of Medicine – University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Medicine and General Medical Counsel, Former Warden, Green College, Oxford; Former President, World Federation of Neurology.
This well-known book written in simple language offers important tips for early diagnosis and prevention of serious ailments. His another landmark book on ‘Dengue’ is also famous having won world-wide fame. Dewan K.S. Puri’s another son Sukhbir Puri is settled in Mauritius and son Jagjit Puri, IAS (Retd.) is well settled at Panchkula. The only daughter Veena Leekha with her husband Ved Leekha is settled at Pune. The other sons are Sukhdev Puri, IPS, the former Police Officer at Mumbai. Balbir Puri is another son of Dewan K.S. Puri.
Sukhdev Singh Puri son of Dewan K.S. Puri an honest, hard-working, determined, justice loving, devoted and committed IPS officer of 1967 batch was conferred the title of ‘Justice Puri’ by his associates. He retired as Director General of Maharashtra. He was strictly against the culprits because he decided the cases with pure justice and authority. He solved the case of Fake Stamp Paper Scam known as Telugu Scam, run by Abdul Karim. It is one among the tip of the iceberg. He died in Canada on 15 October, 2021 when he was staying with his son there.
Dr. Jaswant Singh Puri author of the article ‘Royal City of Patiala; A Gapshap’ son of Dr. Ajit Singh Puri has penned down an internationally acclaimed book ‘Rise and, Decline of the Mughal Empire’ with a foreword by Her Highness Maharani Preneet Kaur of Patiala. Besides, he is a leading journalist and wrote many articles of national and international value. His article on ‘Polo’, ‘Patiala Peg’, and ‘Gurudwara Dera Baba Shri Jassa Singh’ are remarkable for their intrinsic value.
He presented internationally acclaimed book ‘Rise and Decline of Mughal Empire to Ex. V.C. B.S. Ghumman, Dr. Deepak Vohra, an Indian Diplomat of eminence and His Holiness Nobel Laureate, Dalai Lama who praised the book for its simple language that abounds in immense knowledge. He also received a certificate for his active participation on a webinar on ‘Sufism in Punjab’ held in 2021 at Punjabi University.
Note: This article is dedicated to Mrs. Alka Puri, wife of Dr. Ajit Singh Puri and mother of Dr. Jaswant Singh Puri.
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