SRI GURU HARGOBIND SAHIB JI

G.H.G. Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar, Distt. Ludhiana is situated at about 25 kms. from Ludhiana on Ludhiana-Barnala-Bathinda-Bikaner highway. This place has the benign blessings of Guru Hargobind Sahib, who spent significant moments of his life here. This place where now we have the magnificent edifice housing the colleges, was in about 1920 a waste stretch of land. But, with Almighty’s blessings in 1921, Nihang Shamsher Singh Ji, a great devotee of Guru Hargobind Sahib, had a visionary idea and established a ‘Gurmukhi Pathshala’, which he used to call a College. Interestingly, Nihang Ji’s dream got God’s blessings and in 1948, Guru Hargobind Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar came into existence in a wing of school in the old complex where presently G.H.G. Khalsa College of Education is functioning.

This institute of higher learning, which was called by Mr. Prem Bhatia, former Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune Group of Newspapers “A Wonder in Rural Setting”, has now a glorious history of fifty-five years behind it and has more than two and a half thousand students on its rolls from among almost all states of the country studying in multi-faculty graduate and post-graduate classes. The beautiful sprawling and highly appealing college campus in about thirty acres comprises Nihang Shamsher Singh Auditorium, Stadium, Sardar Sardara Singh Sidhu Sports Complex, Dhillon Open Air Theatre, Guru Tegh Bahadur Teachers’ Enclave, Guru Hargobind (Boys) Hostel, Mata Ganga (Girls) Hostel, Student Centre, Non Resident Student Centre, A Conference cum Seminar Hall, A well stocked Library, up-to-date modern Laboratories, Computer Centre, College of Pharmacy in a three-storeyed building and huge modern infrastructure for instructions to the students. The whole complex is a treat to the eyes – pollution free atmosphere; verdant playgrounds and lawns; beautiful flowers, plants and trees; and colorful fountain – Gyan Phuhar – to further enhance its beauty and grandeur.

The purpose behind the establishment of this college was to cater to the higher education demands of rural students. The college motto “Simple Living and High Thinking” clearly reflects this. S. Partap Singh Thekedar was the Founder President of the college Governing Council while S. Iqbal Singh its first Principal. The present campus of the college was ‘a dream come true’ idea of S. Bakhtawar Singh Gill, a great philanthropist who took over as the President of the Governing Council in 1958 and continued upto 1991. Sardar Gill was the founder donor of Premjit Memorial Hospital built by him in 1956 in the loving memory of his son Premjit Singh. This presented a rare contribution for mental development as well as physical health of the ruralites. S. Kundan Singh served as Principal from 1958 to 1973. S. Manjit Singh Khattra served as Principal from 1975 to 2001 and contributed immensely to take the college to the supreme grandeur and elevation. His contribution for the cause of higher education, sports, co-curricular activities and general development of the college is highly praiseworthy and a supreme example of dedication and commitment. S. Manjit Singh Gill took over as President in 1991 and is a young, dynamic and well educated personality. The teamwork and co-operation of President Gill, Principal (Retd.) Khattra presently Director and Principal Dr. J.S. Cheema is taking ‘this lighthouse of the area’ to new heights fulfilling a great social cause. Understanding the changes in educational patterns, the college made a steady but tremendous progress. In the beginning years, only the conventional subjects of Arts and Science faculty were taught in the college but later on with the passage of time, specialised science, technical and vocational subjects were added. In 1982 B.Com. degree and M.A. English was introduced. In 1984 the starting of Diploma in Pharmacy in newly established College of Pharmacy was a significant development. B.Sc. Medical was added in 1986 while U.G.C. sponsored ‘B.Sc. Physical Education, Health Education & Sports’ made its entry in 1989. In 1990 this college became one of the leading colleges of the state by establishing a Computer Centre. In 1994, U.G.C. financed vocational courses in ‘Computer Applications’ and ‘Industrial Fish & Fishery’ were made available for the students. In 1997, special Diploma courses for poor girls and needy women ‘Consumer Electronics repair, Electronics Assembly and Compute Hardware Maintenance’ financed by Norway Govt. through Govt. of India and conducted by Consumer Electronics (Pb.) Limited, (a govt. of Punjab undertaking) were provided. In 1998, B.C.A. course of Panjab University was started. The subjects of Psychology and Public Administration were introduced in 1999. In 2001, M.Sc.(IT) and P.G.D.C.A. approved and affiliated to P.U. Chandigarh were the new additions while upgradation of College of Pharmacy to degree level in same year has given further opportunities to the students to develop and sharpen their academic pursuits.

To make the students good citizens, special care is taken in the college for providing cultural activities and sports. The college record in these fields reflects it vividly. The college has the distinction of holding more than a dozen youth festivals of Zonal and Inter-Zonal level. In these festivals our College Bhangra Team was champion on more than 15 times and runner-up on more than 10 times. In other events likewise our college record is consistently brilliant. In 1998, the college hosted the state level ‘Folk Arts Exhibition’, which was sponsored by the State Education Department. Besides this, in N.C.C., N.S.S. and other youth activities the college record is highly impressive.

In the domain of sports, the college has not only produced some outstanding sports persons but has also organised and hosted university, state and even national level tournament and events successfully. The college hockey team has the distinction of being P.U. Champion for more than 10 times and twice runner-up in All India Nehru SAIL Champion College Hockey Tournament. The college has produced three hockey Olympians and one international cyclist. The organising and hosting of ‘IX Senior National Women Football Championship’ in 2001 is a golden chapter in the college sports history. It is significant to mention here that four members of the National Women’s Football Team belong to this college. In sports and athletics, the performance of the college is quite remarkable and our sportspersons have university and national records to their names.