GNDU's Research Legacy Faces Collapse Due to Age Restriction Policy
In a startling revelation about the state of higher education in Punjab, 13 out of 15 research chairs dedicated to eminent personalities and crucial historical events at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) in Amritsar have become either non-functional or completely defunct. The crisis stems from a controversial Punjab cabinet decision that prevents the appointment of anyone aged 60 or above to these prestigious academic positions.
The Functional Few and Paper Projects
Currently, only the Jallianwala Bagh massacre research chair remains operational at GNDU, but even this faces an uncertain future as its chairperson, Dr. Amandeep Bal, will complete her tenure on September 16, 2026, when she turns 65. Another chair dedicated to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is being managed through additional charge given to a professor, indicating the desperate measures the university is taking to keep research activities alive.
More concerning is the status of three government-funded chairs that exist only on paper since their announcement in November 2021. The Sant Kabir Chair, Bhai Jeewan Singh (Bhai Jaita Ji) Chair, and Makhan Shah Lubana Chair have remained non-starters despite receiving substantial funding. Official records reveal that a grant of Rs 53.83 lakh was received for these chairs by the end of the 2024 fiscal year, including Rs 10 lakh for each in 2022-23 and Rs 43.83 lakh each in 2023-24, yet not a single penny has been spent.
The Root Cause: Cabinet Decision Creates Academic Gridlock
The current mess in Punjab's higher education department traces back to a November 16, 2021 decision by the Punjab cabinet during the erstwhile Congress-led government headed by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. This decision specifically bars the appointment of any retired person to these research chairs, effectively preventing researchers or academicians aged 60 or above from heading these important academic positions.
This restriction came exactly when the cabinet approved establishing five new chairs - three in GNDU and two in Punjabi University. The decision has put universities in an impossible situation, forcing them to find serving professors willing to take on the additional responsibility of heading research chairs.
GNDU officials and several academicians expressed their frustration to media, stating that "The task is nothing but wishful thinking. No working professor or researcher will agree to head a chair, which in itself requires utmost dedication for effective research."
Real-World Consequences and Academic Impact
The policy has already claimed several victims. A retired professor heading the Dr. BR Ambedkar Chair at GNDU, appointed in January 2021 when retirees were still permitted, saw her five-year tenure end on August 14 after she turned 65. The chair now operates with additional charge given to another professor.
Similarly, Dr. Sarbjinder Singh, a retired Punjabi University professor appointed as chairperson of the Sant Baba Prem Singh Murali Wale Chair on July 27, 2021, had to relinquish his position after attaining 65 years in May. Speaking anonymously, one former chairperson revealed, "No one has been given the charge after I left. They are not finding any professors aged less than 60 who would agree to head a chair along with their regular work."
Dr. Amandeep Bal, who heads the currently functional Jallianwala Bagh Chair, emphasized the practical challenges, stating, "Only retiree professors can do justice to the research chairs. Before retirement, why would anyone leave their assigned work and take additional charge for the chair?"
She further explained the dedication research requires: "Research is dedicated work. It is not possible for a serving professor to dedicate time for research, since professors have to guide PhD students or at times are posted on administrative positions like deans or assigned other responsibilities towards the final years of service. With additional charge, a serving professor can at most organize a seminar or two but not do the research work."
Under Dr. Bal's leadership, the Jallianwala Bagh Chair achieved significant milestones, including getting two books published by GNDU, one of which documented martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh in 2024.
Complete List of Affected Research Chairs
The official records identify 13 chairs at GNDU that are currently vacant, defunct, or exist only on paper:
- Guru Gobind Singh Chair
- Sant Kabir Chair
- Bhai Jeewan Singh (Bhai Jaita Ji) Chair
- Makhan Shah Lubana Chair
- Hazrat Mian Mir Chair
- Bhagwan Balmiki Chair
- Guru Ravidass Chair
- Bhagat Namdev Chair
- Namdhari Guru Ram Singh Chair
- Sant Baba Prem Singh Ji Murale Wale Chair
- Baba Budha Sikh Studies Chair
- Bhai Nirmal Singh Chair
- Study of the Ghadar Movement Chair
The fifteenth chair, Jallianwala Bagh Chair, is also set to become defunct next year when its current head completes her tenure.
University and Government Response
GNDU registrar Karamjit Singh Chahal confirmed the crisis, stating, "Serving officials are not much willing to be appointed to these chairs. We have also issued a circular for the post of chairperson for these chairs, but we are still waiting for any response."
The university has taken up the matter with the state government, writing multiple letters seeking relaxation of the age restriction condition. When contacted, Punjab higher education secretary Anindita Mitra responded, "If the universities have taken up this matter with the department, we will examine it."
The situation highlights a critical challenge in Punjab's academic landscape, where valuable research on important historical figures and events remains stalled due to policy decisions that academics describe as impractical and counterproductive to scholarly work.
