Amarjot Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 1

In a recent turn of events over the issue of Panjab University’s proposal to merge the Department of Urdu and Persian with the School of Foreign Languages, in view of the NAAC recommendations, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has written to the university’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Raj Kumar.

Capt Amarinder’s tweet posted on Tuesday stated: “I have written to @OfficialPU to reconsider their decision of include Urdu as a part of ‘School of Foreign Languages’. Classifying it as a foreign language with German, Chinese or Russia is not desirable. At a personal level, I regret that I did not have the chance to learn Urdu.” He has also posted a picture of the letter addressed to Prof Kumar.

The CM’s tweet comes a day after PU cancelled the meeting of a 15-member committee that was to take a call on the proposal regarding the merger of departments.

Also, Capt Amarinder had on Sunday posted a tweet, expressing concern over Panjab University’s proposal.

On September 17, a 15-member committee constituted by the university under PU (DUI)Prof Shankarji Jha had proposed to merge small departments to form bigger centres in the view of an NAAC directive.