Chandigarh: The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday unanimously passed the Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur World Class University Punjab Bill, 2026, paving the way for the establishment of a world-class university at Sri Anandpur Sahib that will focus on advanced technologies and strategic studies.
The Bill was introduced by Punjab Education minister Harjot Singh Bains, who described the initiative as a historic step combining Punjab’s spiritual heritage with a forward-looking vision for higher education. The proposed institution will be set up on the sacred land of Sri Anandpur Sahib, associated with the legacy of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh.
Moving the Bill in the Assembly, Bains said the university would offer specialised courses in emerging fields such as defence technology, aerospace engineering, cyber security, artificial intelligence, semiconductor engineering and quantum computing — areas currently not widely available in premier institutes across North India. He said the aim is to build a globally recognised institution on the lines of leading centres of learning, such as MIT.
The academic structure proposed under the university includes programmes such as BSc in Defence Technology, MSc in Strategic and Defence Studies, M.Tech in Military Robotics, B.Tech in Drone Engineering and UAV Technology, B.Tech in Cyber Security, M.Tech in Cyber Warfare and National Security, and courses in space technology, chip design, quantum computing and data science. The university will also introduce programmes in military history, maritime studies and defence law.
Highlighting Punjab’s strategic position as a border state, Bains said the institution would promote technology-driven research in defence, internal security and policing. He added that the university would nurture future scientists in the legacy of distinguished Indian scientists such as Hargobind Khorana, Piara Singh Gill and Narinder Singh Kapany.
The state government has proposed an investment of Rs 300 crore over the next three years for the project, with an initial allocation of Rs 20 crore in the current budget. The university will be located near the Kiratpur Sahib–Nangal highway to ensure good connectivity with Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport and the national capital.
According to the minister, the institution aims to educate over 10,000 students in the next decade and create thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities in the region. He added that efforts are underway to start academic programmes by July 2026 from a temporary transit campus.