Chandigarh: Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Thursday told a delegation of students from Panjab University (PU) that he was hopeful of central status for the varsity but it was necessary to first convince the state government on the issue.

Presently, 60 per cent funding to PU is by central government while remaining is done by Punjab.

"Kapil Sibal had assured us that they (his ministry) will write a letter to the Punjab government, in the coming days, and give it two options. They will tell Punjab either to pay full share of funds to PU or to take back its claim, so that central status could be awarded to it," said Barinder Dhillon, one of the eight PU students who met the minister in New Delhi Thursday.

Nitin Goyal, a former PU student and NSUI leader who was also present in the meeting, said: "Our meeting with Sibal went for over an hour. He listened to us very patiently and promised us full support in the issue of granting of central status to PU."

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi had interacted with over 350 students of PU Oct 13 here on the varsity campus.

During the interaction, two students - Shivani Negi and Barinder Dhillon - raised the long-pending issue of granting central status to the varsity.

Gandhi had taken the mobile number and e-mail address of these two students and told them that he would invite them to New Delhi to discuss this issue with the HRD minister.

These students got an invitation call from New Delhi Oct 27. Six members of National Students Union of India (NSUI) also accompanied them to New Delhi.

Manny Madan, another PU student and a member of NSUI, said: "We apprised the HRD minister about huge fees structure of self-finance courses in PU."

Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) is pressing for central status for the last many years. However, the Punjab government is against this proposal as it feels it would lose control over the PU if central status is granted to it.

PU is also the alma mater of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He also taught here and reached the post of professor at the young age of 32 while teaching here.

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