Patiala, Oct 25- Rated as number four at the moment, India will be world's number two largest economy by the year 2,050 followed only by China. While India by this time will take over Japan, China will edge out the USA, the three countries which now constitute the top bracket as far world economy ratings are concerned. This was stated by the Regional Director of the Reserve Bank of India, Dr J. Sadakkudulla in his keynote address during the 5th International Conference on "Indian Capital Market -- The Way Ahead", jointly organised by Punjabi University's Punjab School of Management Studies and Punjab Commerce and Management Association here today.

The Sadakkudulla further said that while the continuum of worsening global financial market has virtually crippled the world economy, India has been able to weather the storm to a great extent only due its time-tested conservative and semi-closed economic principles. However, since mid-September 2008, various segments of the domestic financial markets have been witnessing heightened volatility reflecting uncertain global situation. The RBI Regional Director further said that strains in the global financial markets exacerbated further in September 2008 by the bankruptcy, sell-out and restructuring of some of the world's largest financial institutions resulting in severe disruptions of international money markets, sharp declines in stock markets across the globe, he added.

Dr Sadakkudulla said that corporate earnings and credit quality have eroded with input cost increased and demand subsided in an environment of higher inflation and lower growth. Referring to the slump in the Indian stock markets, Dr Sadakkudulla said that the index revolving round 10,000 was optimum for the Indian economy as higher value than this was "good only for the greedy and not for the needy." The Reserve Bank and the Indian Government, he said, were all set to take pre-emptive measures to contain excess volatility and alleviate the recent transient pressures on the domestic financial markets to increase capital inflows to improve liquidity conditions to ensure domestic financial stability.



University's Vice-chancellor, Dr Jaspal Singh, in his presidential address, said that the turmoil in global financial market has put a question mark on the wisdom of the predictors of financial world. Elaborating the concept, he said while the investors have to live with some degree of volatility, the Indian financial managers have to upgrade the risk management system and strengthen the regulatory frameworks to save the small investors from the shock treatment. Dr Jaspal Singh further said that there was a dire need to expand the investor base by strengthening the credibility measures and by adhering to international best practices relating to capital market activities. The Government also needs to meet the twin objective of protecting the interests of the investors and fostering of securities markets, he added.

Conference Coordinator, Dr Pushpinder Gill said that we need to explore possibilities of reforming the international financial structure in order to stabilize the global economic meltdown as business was all about to manage change in technology, markets, corporate cultures and global environment. Dr Prem Kumar, Professor, Emeritus, PCMA and Prof G.S.Batra  also spoke on the occasion.
 

Punjabi University's Guru Gobind Singh Bhawan & Library to get a facelift

Patiala, Oct 19- A 200-seat capacity ultra-modern centrally air-conditioned auditorium will be built as a part of Punjabi University's Guru Gobind Singh Bhawan's interior getting a facelift. The project, the work on which will start soon, will be completed in a span of less than one year. University's Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jaspal Singh, stated this while presiding over the fourth annual alumni meet of the University in the senate Hall here late last evening.

            The Vice-Chancellor further said that the University's main library, which housed nearly six lakh books, rare manuscripts and journals will also be renovated and centrally air-conditioned with the objective of  making it as a model for others to be follow.  Describing it as one of the largest libraries in the country, Dr Jaspal Singh said that presently it portrayed a picture of being "the richest library in a poor state". The nearly 1,000 rare manuscripts, which were getting nearer to the state of depredation with each passing day, are being digitized and laminated to be preserved forever for the use of future generation of teachers and scholars, he said. All these projects will be completed within one year, he added.

            Dr Jaspal Singh said that in an effort to preserve and promote Punjabi culture, the University has planned to document at least four Punjabi folk dance forms, that is, Giddha, Bhangra, Sammi and Jhumar in their original forms in textual as well as audio-visual formats. This will be followed by a similar exercise to document Punjabi folk music and fine art forms. He urged the gathered alumni to help their alma mater in every possible manner so that it comes up as a centre of excellence in the country.

            Dr Jaswinder Singh, convener of the Punjabi University Alumni Association, disclosed that only 21 departments have raised their individual alumni units, while its alumni have set up individual units in the USA, UK and Canada. He urged the remaining teaching and research departments on the campus, representatives from the University's regional centres and neighbourhood campuses to follow the suit in an effort to broadbase its structure.

            Those who shared their views, experiences and old memories with the University included former MP and present University syndic, Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, Punjab PWD Minister, Mr Parminder Singh Dhindsan, Principal Secretary to Punjab Chief Minister, Mr D.S. Guru, Commissioner, Patiala Division, Mr S.K. Ahluwalia and noted scholars, Dr Sutinder Singh Noor, Dr Dalip Kaur Tiwana. Dr M.S. Saini, Dean, Academic affairs, presented vote of thanks.

Cultural fiesta at Punjabi University

Patiala, Oct 18- Captivating performances by a diverse range of artists marked the cultural fiesta, "Aao Ral Labhiye Rang Guache", organised by the Punjab Heritage Foundation and Punjabi University's Department of Youth Welfare in the University's open air theatre here last night.  According to Dr Rajinder Gill, General secretary of the Foundation, the show  was held to acknowledge the kindness and generosity of some NRIs, who have donated huge amounts of money to help Punjabi University "reach the unreachable" in the remote and most backward villages of the Sangrur, Mansa and Bathinda districts. While the Foundation has donated about Rs one crore for building Kala Bhawan on the University Campus, it, alongwith some other NRIs, has donated over Rs four crore towards University's Golden Heart Scholarship Scheme to fund the education of students of Yadavindra College of Engineering, Talwandi Sabo, Dr Gill said.

            While expressing deep sense of gratitude for the benign help of the donors, Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jaspal Singh assured them that the University would reciprocate their gesture in multiple ways. He also honoured them by presenting valuable sets of University publication and mementoes. While the donors assured the Vice-Chancellor to continue extending full help and cooperation to the University, they also invited him to pay a visit to them to explore more avenues for additional financial help in future. According to Dr Satish Kumar Verma, Director, Youth Welfare, who compeered the show in his own characteristic manner, the performances ranged from Punjabi, Haryanvi and Rajasthani folk songs and dances, interspersed by mimicry and recital of sufi songs. The performances were given out by the artists of University's Youth Welfare Department and of Patiala Kala Parishad, he said.

SGPC promises Rs five lakhs grant to pbi varsity

Patiala, Oct 17- In a significant decision, the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) has agreed to extend an annual grant of Rs five lakhs to the Punjabi University's Guru Tegh Bahadur National Integration Chair for promoting the message of secularism and national integration. The decision was taken by the executive committee of the SGPC in a meeting held under the chairmanship of its President Mr Avtar Singh today.

Responding to the decision, University's Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jaspal Singh said that the SGPC's move will go a long way in establishing and furthering the inter-faith dialogue and strengthening the cause of religious pluralism. The University, on its part, will extend every kind of academic and scholastic cooperation to the SGPC for meeting the broader objective of spreading the divine message among various sections of the society.

Mr Avtar Singh said that in addition to the financial assistance, the SGPC would also collaborate with the University in carrying out all types of scholarly projects and organising academic functions for propagating the Sikh religious and moral values, which were secular in nature. The Committee would also help the University in getting books and journals published, even as the collaboration would provide a wider platform for broadbasing its activities.

Dr Baltej Singh Mann, Chairman of the National Integration Chair, said that efforts would be made to promote the philosophy of Guru Tegh Bahadur, which was aimed at spreading the message of social equality and brotherhood among the masses. Seminars and conferences will also be held to find out solutions to the challenges being posed by some anti-social elements, bent upon spreading hatred, violence and terror in the society, he said.
 

Alumni association meet

Patiala, Oct 16- The fourth annual general body meeting the Punjabi University Alumni Association will be held under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jaspal Singh in the University Senate Hall from 4 to 6 p.m. on October 18 next. According to Dr Jaswinder Singh, Dean, Alumni Association, the meeting will deliberate upon the issues pertaining to achieving academic excellence and further the overall development of the University. The meeting will be followed up a cultural programme in the evening at the kala Bhawan.
 

Patiala,16 September: Dr. Jagtar Singh, Professor, Department of Library and Information Science, and Dean Faculty of Education and Information Science Punjabi University, Patiala has been invited to deliver keynote address at the UGC Sponsored National Seminar on Libraries in the 21st Century being hosted by Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar (Gujarat) from 18-19 October 2008. In this seminar, 300 delegates from all over India would participte to discuss the impact of information and communication technologies on libraries, as well as the changing role of library and information professionals in the context of emerging knowledge society.
 

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