Chandigarh, Sep 02: Hope springs eternal in the heart of Charanjit Singh Channi, minister of technical education and industrial training in the Punjab government. Though Panjab University sources say the minister, who hosts job fairs for youth in the state, has failed to clear the varsity’s joint entrance test for PhD and MPhil, Channi still nurses hope. “I haven’t got the result yet. There is some confusion, I am told.”
A PhD candidate has to score 55% marks to clear the test in the open category, while a candidate in the reserved category must score 50%. A prominent dalit leader, Channi belongs to the reserved category. PU sources say, he has failed to make the cut.
The three-time legislator, known as much for his ‘winnability’ in the poll arena as for his unending pursuit of academics, shrugs off his disappointment. “It isn’t easy to compete with today’s youngsters. There are just two seats for PhD in the political science department of Panjab University. If I don’t make it this time, I will try again.”
The PhD is important to Channi due to the subject he proposes to pursue. A Congressman, Channi is determined to cement his loyalty to the party with a thesis on Indian National Congress (INC). “I haven’t decided my topic, but it will revolve around the INC,” he says.
That will be the icing on the cake for a legislator who is a trained lawyer with two postgraduate degrees — in business administration and in political science.
“I study for the love of education, not qualification,” he clarifies, clearly hurt at the ribbing he gets from peers and media alike for his academic passion.
“I have 10 universities under me who would be happy to give me an honorary doctorate, but I want to do my doctorate from PU,” he bristles.
Channi says he gets his dedication to education from his father Harsa Singh. “He worked in Malaysia for a while. He relocated us from our village to Kharar only because he wanted to educate us.”
News Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com
