S Swaran Singh Virk asked leaders to do something practical for empowering the women. However, they hit back and challenged him to do. Mr Virk accepted the challenge and then an oasis emerged in the desert. Mr Virk’s entire family is involved in this noble work. In this institution girls are helped not only to excel in studies but also become Sachiar in accordance with the teachings of Shabad Guru. The model of teaching is unique because senior class student teaches junior class students and bright students make efforts to help their less bright sisters. This experiment has not only reduced the expenditure on having more teachers, but has also made the atmosphere so congenial and friendly among the students that the senior students become their role-model following in whose footsteps, they concentrate better on their studies. That is why, the college affiliated to GNDU has shown excellent results as compared to others. No girl copies even if no supervisor is in the examination hall. A bag containing Rs 21 thousand collected by students is kept in the hall with a message that the amount will be given to a person who can prove that a particular student has copied. Till date none has claimed. A students body looks after administration and financial matters. No fee is charged except the examination fee payable to Guru Nanak Dev University for allowing the students to appear in the examination. Langar is prepared by students themselves. They sleep on the floor and are kept physically fit by exercise. No help is taken from the government or the donors. If somebody insists in giving financial help then FD is made in the name of donors and interest is used. The donor can encash FD. The expenses are met out of agriculture operations.
Apart from these important schools and colleges, we have a number of universities associated with Punjabis in General and Sikhs in particular. We have already mentioned the universities run by SGPC and Baru Sahib Group. Then we have very well known universities, viz., Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana, Punjabi University Patiala and Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar.
Punjab Agriculture University, Punjabi University, Guru Nanak Dev University
Punjab Agriculture University was setup on 8 July, 1963, when it was formerly inaugurated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, First Prime Minister of India. Its main purpose was to bring awareness among the people regarding innovation, improvement and methods of farming with a view to bring revolution. The university has been organising ‘Kisan Melas’ and putting on display the new varieties of plants with full details about their method of cultivation and merits. The farmers have been kept well informed of the improved varieties of seeds, machines and techniques of production. The university has been able to develop such a close relationship with the farmers that there was no problem which they could not take to the university scientists and get it solved. Although, the university is run by the Punjab Government, the various agriculture scientists and experts associated with the university included a very large number of Sikhs. Although the contribution of the founder Vice-Chancellors Shri P.N. Thapar and Dr. M.S. Randhawa was very vital, the role played by Dr. Sukhdev Singh, Dr. A.S. Cheema, Dr. Khem Singh Gill, Dr. A.S. Khera, Dr. G.S. Kalkat and Dr. K.S. Aulakh (All Vice-Chancellors) was also very significant. There were a number of Sikh Directors like Dr. K. Kirpal Singh, Dr. A.S. Dhillon, Dr. K.S. Gill, Dr. G.S. Gill, Dr. J.S. Kolar and Dr. A.S. Sandhu, who also played a vital role for bringing green revolution in Punjab. It is in recognition of the great service rendered by this university in the field of Indian agriculture that a very large number of its Researchers and the Faculty Members have been decorated with highest possible honours including Padam Bhushan for three Vicechancellors, Dr. Khem Singh Gill, being one of these recipients.
Punjabi University was setup at Patiala in 1962 with the main object of promoting Punjabi language and culture including Sikh religion as both this language and culture were highly influence by the Sikh Gurus. The university produced considerable literature to meet its objects. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism edited by S. Harbans Singh in four volumes is a notable contribution of the University. It is the great matter of satisfaction that with the view to keep the Encyclopaedia updated, the University has established the Encyclopaedia Cell in the Guru Gobind Singh Department of Religious Studies into a separate full fledged Department. It has been named in honour of late Editor in Chief, Professor Harbans Singh Department of Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. This Cell is making sincere efforts not only to update it with further entries, but also to get it rendered into Punjabi. The Punjabi University has also published another scholarly work on Guru Granth Sahib in Punjabi entitled as “Guru Granth Kosh” by S. Ratan Singh Jaggi. A large number of books on Punjabi and Punjabi culture have also been published by this University.
Guru Nanak Dev University was setup in 1969 on the occasion of the 500th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Its purpose was to provide information regarding Sikh religion by getting the research made and publishing the literature in this regard to apprise the people about this religion. The university has been publishing ‘Journal of Sikh Studies’ wherein reputed researchers and scholars of Sikh history and religion work contributing. This University had also published a great work ‘Gurbani Tatt Sagar’ by S. Santa Singh Tatlay. This work encompasses four thousand independent topics and 75000 references from Sri Guru Granth Sahib, well explained and illustrated. In short, it can be said that both the Universities are contributing to the spread of education in the state along with a mission to promote Punjabiat in general and Sikh religion in particular.
Apart from the organisational and individual educational institutions, we have a number of educational institution in Punjab and other places in India and abroad which are run by certain sects or segments of the Sikh community. Limiting to Punjab, a mention of education institution run by Ramgarhias in Ludhiana and Phagwara, deserve a specific mention.
Ramgarhia Educational Council Ludhiana
In the field of education one of the leading organisations of Ramgarhias in Punjab is the Ramgarhria Educational Council Ludhiana, which was registered in the year of 1970 under the patronage of a famous industrialist and philanthropist, S. Gurmukh Singh Ji. He had a firm belief that the true progress of the nation lies in educating it. It was, his dream to open as many educational institutes as possible, particularly for the girls. Presently, the education cou ncil is running the following institutions.
- Ramgarhia Elementary School, Estd. 1944.
- Ramgarhia Girls Sen. Sec. School, Estd. 1953.
- Ramgarhia Sen. Sec. School for Boys, Estd. 1962.
- Ramgarhia Co-Ed High School, Partap Nagar, Estd. 1966.
- Ramgarhia Girls College, Estd. 1970.
