The Central University of Punjab was founded in 2009 by an Act of Parliament and is located in the rural village of Ghudda in Bathinda. It started small but now has a large 500-acre eco-friendly campus recognised for energy efficiency.
The university has 31 departments within 11 schools, offering postgraduate and doctoral courses in sciences, technology, education, humanities, social sciences and law. Its academic system focuses on research, skill-building and entrepreneurship through a Choice Based Credit System.
Students come from 26 states and faculty from 19, many trained at top institutions in India and abroad. The university supports students from poorer backgrounds with an Earn-While-You-Learn programme.
The campus is plastic-free and committed to sustainability. It involves local communities with outreach projects and cultural events like food festivals and recycling activities.