After a gap of nearly fifteen years, Panjab University (PU) in Chandigarh is poised to welcome a serving Prime Minister to its campus. The historic occasion is planned for the formal inauguration of the university's long-awaited and ambitious Multipurpose Auditorium, a landmark facility whose foundation stone was laid by the last visiting PM, Dr. Manmohan Singh, back in 2009.
A Venue of National Significance
Senior university officials have confirmed that plans are underway to extend an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the massive auditorium. The primary reason for aiming for this high-profile inauguration is the project's scale and its envisioned national role. Designed to accommodate approximately 2,400 people, the auditorium is set to become the university's premier venue for major events.
Once operational, it will host the annual convocations, large-scale national and international academic conferences, major cultural festivals, and significant inter-institutional gatherings. This will firmly place Panjab University on the map as a hub for major academic and cultural events in North India.
Preparations and Proposed Timeline
University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Renu Vig, stated that the institution intends to send the invitation to the Prime Minister's Office once all preparatory work at the site is fully complete. She emphasized that the university wants the venue to be in perfect readiness before finalizing any date, with the schedule being entirely dependent on the PM's availability and protocol.
A senior official, speaking anonymously, indicated that the university is internally targeting March as a potential window for the grand inauguration. However, they clarified that any final decision rests with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), contingent upon security assessments and the PM's busy calendar. "The intent is clear, but nothing is finalized without formal approvals," the official noted.
Reconnecting with History
If the plan materializes, it will be a momentous event in PU's modern history, re-establishing a direct link with the country's highest constitutional office. The last serving Prime Minister to visit the campus was Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2009 for the foundation stone ceremony of this very auditorium. Before him, another distinguished alumnus, Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, visited in March 1998 to inaugurate the Alumni House during his tenure.
The new auditorium, located at the Sector 25 South Campus, is now in the final stages of completion. Structural work is done, and crews are currently focused on interior finishing, electrical fittings, and acoustics. Upon launch, it will not only be the largest auditorium within Panjab University but also rank among the biggest in any higher education institution in the region, symbolizing a new chapter for the historic university.
