Campus at a Glimpse

The perfect blend of culture and modernity is what one can see at the Central University of Punjab campus. Located in the beautiful city of Bathinda, Punjab, it is spread across an area of 37 acres of lush green border. Central University of Punjab comes under the centrally funded university category established in 2009 under the Act of Parliament (No 25, of 2009). Having completed its journey of 13 years, the university attained an A+ NAAC grade in 2023 due to its improved quality of education.

The university has a total of 31 departments and 11 schools in the Sciences, Technology, Education, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Law disciplines. Central University of Punjab courses are provided at the postgraduate and Ph.D levels in these disciplines. The current strength of the university includes 1595 masters, 366 doctoral, and 21 international students. Among this overall strength, the university has also maintained a decent male-to-female ratio of 11:9. Also, there is a fair student-to-faculty ratio that stands at 14:1.

However, not everything about the Central University of Punjab is satisfactory, according to the students. If the review of students is to be believed, there is only 1 hostel each for boys and girls. Each hostel room has 4 occupants. Also, the classrooms are not divided stream-wise but are common for every course. This signifies that even though the university is performing well in terms of quality of education, it still lags behind when it comes to infrastructure and management.

NIRF Ranking: From Good to Great!

Central University of Punjab comes among the top 100 institutions in the "University Category" in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Ranking 2023. It has attained this place for the fifth consecutive time in the last five years. It was ranked at 95th, 87th, 84th, and 81st place in the years 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, in the university category of NIRF. This shows that the university is consistently improving its quality of education and, thus, the NIRF rankings. This improvement is also visible in the pharmacy department, which improved its position by 7 in 2023 compared to 2022. 

Our Take

Getting placed among the top 100 institutions by NIRF for 5 consecutive years shows us that the university is consistent in terms of its research and academic performance. The improvement in the Pharmacy category is also evidence of its commitment to excellence and its continuous attempt to improve its performance. It also shows that the institution is responsive to the needs of its students, and is taking steps to address any areas of weakness.

Central University of Punjab Academia & Batch

Central University of Punjab follows the graduate attributes-based curriculum, which was adopted by the university in 2021. This curriculum mainly focuses on research, skill development, and entrepreneurship. The curriculum consists of 3 components: internal assessment, mid-semester exams, and end-semester exams. 

Total Courses

Central University of Punjab admission is conducted for a total of 11 PG courses along with 20 PhD courses. In PG courses, there are various sub-departments included. There are a total of 19 specialisations offered for MSc, 3 specialisations offered for MPharm, 11 specialisataions offered for MA, and 2 specialisataions offered for MTech.

Our Take
With 11 PG and 20 PhD courses across various disciplines, CUP seems to cater to a wide range of academic interests. Also, combining internal assessments, mid-semester exams, and end-semester exams likely provides a comprehensive evaluation of student learning and progress. However, even though the academia and batch size of the university seem fair, there are some negative reviews posted on Quora by students. As per the students, the faculty of the statistics department are not very experienced. Oftentimes, the professors conduct surprise tests. The students also said that the mid-semester and end-semester exams are also jokes because you have to attempt 50 MCQs in 50 minutes. This signifies that students are quite pressured academically at this University.

Central University of Punjab Infrastructure

The Central University of Punjab has a state-of-the-art infrastructure that supports its teaching, research, and student life. Some of the salient features of the Central University of Punjab infrastructure are:

Classrooms:

The classrooms at Central University of Punjab are spacious, well-lit, and well-equipped with modern teaching aids, such as smartboards and projectors.

Auditorium/ Seminar Halls:

The university has a large auditorium and several seminar halls that are used for lectures, conferences, and other events. The university also has a museum with 2 galleries: one of these is the art gallery and the other is dedicated to the items and antiquities exhibiting the cultural heritage of Punjab.

Labs:

The university has well-equipped laboratories for all of its science and engineering programs. There are 3 labs: teaching & research labs, media labs, and language labs. The labs are well equipped with the latest tools & technologies to cater to the requirements of practical knowledge enhancement.

Library:

The library is rapidly expanding and well-equipped with a diverse collection of both physical and electronic resources. It offers modern facilities and technology to support the learning and research needs of students and faculty. It consists of over 53,149 physical titles, 38 international and national print journals, and 7,231 full-text online journals through various publishers and consortiums (including major names like JSTOR, ScienceDirect, etc.). The library also provides access to key databases like ISID, JCCC, SciFinder Scopus, Web of Science, and DELNET.

Internet:

The university has a high-speed internet connection that is available to all students and faculty. The computing center at the university provides central campus-wide wired and wireless internet connectivity with over 1,000 nodes. It also has a high-speed 1Gbps leased line internet connection from NKN. The fiber optic backbone connects administrative, academic blocks, and hostels.

Hostel:

The university has hostels for both male and female students. There are a total of 4 separate hostels, wherein 2 hostels are for boys and 2 for girls. The total capacity of the hostels is 1,816 students, with a dining hall that can accommodate 650 students at a time. There are computer labs, common rooms, reading rooms, and sports facilities available within hostels. Also, there are dedicated outdoor courts for badminton, volleyball, and basketball, and facilities for indoor games like table tennis, chess, and carom are also provided.

Cafe/ Hang-out:

The university has a number of cafes and hang-out spots where students can relax and socialize. The cafes offer a variety of food and drinks, and the hang-out spots are equipped with TVs, music systems, and other amenities.

Our Take

Even though the overall infrastructure of the university seems decent, there are some negative reviews posted on Quora by students. As per the students, the tools available in the labs are very limited, and there are no separate classrooms for different courses. Having one common classroom for all courses? The students also shared their disappointment in terms of the hostel facility. There is only 1 hostel each for males and females, with each room having 4 students. 

Central University of Punjab Internships & Placements

Central University of Punjab Internships

Central University of Punjab offers internship opportunities to students during the summer and winter semesters. As per the university officials, around 70% of students get campus internships with an average stipend of INR 10,000 per month. Apart from this, in order to prepare students for their placements, the institution offers training during internships.

Central University of Punjab Placements

Central University of Punjab placements statistics 2023 have been released on the official website, but in the form of an NIRF report. Insight into the placement 2023 data can help us understand more about the university placement. Central University of Punjab has a record 13% placement rate as of 2023. The university also offers training sessions and placement preparation classes to prepare them for campus placements.

Placements Statistics

Our Take
As per our review, a placement percentage of only 13% is below average for a central university. This reflects badly on the overall ROI of the institute. The average package of Rs 3.10 LPA is fine but does not come in the ‘good package’ category. Some students on Quora have also shared that there are no particular placement coordinators who can help students with placement queries.

Central University of Punjab Location

The Central University of Punjab is located at Badal on Bathinda Road in Ghudda, Punjab. It is about 14 km from Bathinda city and 220 km from Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab. The Central University of Punjab is located in a rural area, surrounded by fields and farmland. There are a few small villages nearby, which means, students have nowhere to hang out on weekends.

Central University of Punjab: Expectation vs Reality CollegeDekho Verdict

Being ranked among the top 100 institutions by NIRF, Central University of Punjab is termed as one of the top Universities in Punjab. Hence, students who choose to study at this University often have high expectations. They expect to receive a high-quality education from a well-respected university. They also expect to have access to good infrastructure and facilities and to be taught by experienced and qualified faculty.

However, the truth is that the Central University of Punjab is still a young university, and it is still developing. However, it has made significant progress in a short period of time. The university has a strong academic reputation, and its faculty are highly qualified and experienced. CUP also has good infrastructure and facilities, including a well-equipped library, laboratories, and classrooms.

Also, there are some areas where the Central University of Punjab could improve. For example, the university could invest more in research and development. It is also important for the university to improve its method of hiring professors to make sure departments like statistics have better-experienced faculty. The university could also improve its student support services.

Final Verdict Checklist!