Central University of Punjab (CUP)

Overview

The Central University of Punjab (CUP), located in Bathinda, is a relatively new Central University, established in 2009. In a little more than a decade, it has already taken its place among the top 10 Public Universities in India in multiple ranking lists, and has a unique curriculum that focuses on skill development, entrepreneurship, and research. Academic activities at CUP are offered by 11 Schools, including Basic Science, Education, Management, Legal Studies, and Social Sciences. More than 60 PG and PhD programs are offered by these Schools. 

The Training & Placement Cell of CUP Bathinda assists PG and Doctoral students with workshops, training sessions, and MoUs with prominent industries. Most recruiters are Universities; PhD students primarily pursue careers in academia. The highest CTC offered to a graduate of the University during the most recent placement season was USD 52,704 PA (international) and INR 6.08 LPA (domestic placement). Prominent recruiters include top Indian and international higher education (e.g. Chandigarh University and Case Western Reserve University), in addition to prominent industries in Chandigarh and other large Indian cities.

The unique main campus of CUP, located in the rural outskirts of Bathinda, is known for its energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. University events are unique, and span food carnivals, waste recycling challenges, and indigenous sports meets. The CUP community also undertakes social responsibility events e.g. awareness events in nearby adopted villages and ensuring a plastic-free learning environment. There are also world class facilities to assist students to organize and participate in cultural activities and sports training events. The University helps financially disadvantaged students with scholarships and additional stipend opportunities like the flagship Earn While You learn scheme.

Central University of Punjab Highlights

Central University of Punjab Fees

The tuition fee for Master’s and PhD programs offered by the Central University of Punjab varies according to the School and course. The full list is published yearly in the PG Prospectus. Some highlights are:

• The fees are split into three parts: one-time payments, annual fees, and semester fees.
• The one-time payments have 5 components:
  • Admission fee: Either INR 500 (e.g. for MA students) or INR 1,500 (e.g. MBA) depending on the program.
  • Alumni Association Life Membership Fee: INR 700.
  • Security Deposit (refundable at the time of graduation subject to good conduct): INR 3,000.
  • Identity Card Fee: INR 150.
  • Degree and Convocation Fee: INR 1,100.
• Annual fees have six components, divided into two categories:
  • Equal for all students: 5 of 6 components (e.g. medical fee, University Development fee) are the same for all students: a total of INR 2,900 per year.
  • Professional Development fees vary according to the program. MA and MSc students do not need to pay this fee; LLM and MEd students pay INR 1,000 per year, and MBA/MTech students pay INR 2,000 annually.
• Semester fees have 10 components:
  • 8 components are the same for all students, and total INR 4,525 per semester. These include Computer Fees, Academic Registration Fees, and Examination Fees.
  • Tuition fees and laboratory charges vary according to the program. For example, the lowest tuition fees (INR 2,000 per semester) are associated with the MA and MSc programs, and MBA students must pay INR 5,000 per semester.
• Study tours and industrial training fees for certain programs (e.g. MBA, MTech, MSc Geography) range from a one-time cost of INR 1,000 to INR 5,800.

As one of the top Universities in Punjab, CUP is a largely residential University with four hostels, and the main components of the living cost for most students are hostel and mess fees. General category and OBC students pay INR 8,600 per semester (after the second semester) and INR 6,600 in the first semester towards hostel rent charges. Maintenance and registration fees are one-time and not refundable (INR 3,000). In addition, hostel and mess deposits, which are refundable at the time of graduation subject to good conduct, are INR 3,000 each. Mess fees are charged separately every semester. Finally, SC and ST students pay reduced living charges of INR 2,000 per semester.

Central University of Punjab Admissions

The eligibility criteria for admission to the Central University of Punjab, are as follows:

• All PG programs offered by CUP require a UG degree in a relevant discipline. PhD programs require a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline.
• Most Master’s degree programs offered by CUP require an aggregate UG percentage of 50% or equivalent CGPA, usually 5.5. This is relaxed to 45% for reserved category candidates. However, a few programs (e.g. MPharm in Pharmacology) require a minimum aggregate of 55% during the UG degree in Pharmacy, with a preference given to candidates with a valid GPAT score.
• Certain programs (e.g. Master of Arts in Vocal Music) mandate an aptitude test of 100 marks, with 60% weightage given to a practical demonstration and 40% to a viva voce examination.
• Most Master’s programs only admit students with a valid CUET PG score.
• Applicants with a UG or PG degree from any recognized Indian or foreign University may apply.

The steps in the application and admission procedure are:

• Visiting the website of the CUET PG examination and creating an online application account.
• Checking the eligibility criteria for the program(s) in which the student is interested.
• Completing the online application form, paying the fees, and uploading soft copies of the required documents.
• Appearing for the papers for which the student has registered on the given CUET examination dates in March of the year of application.
• Participating in the 2 (or 3) rounds of counseling online after the declaration of results.
• Students who are assigned CUP as the University of choice after all rounds of counseling are completed must report to CUP on the given date for academic registration with original copies of all documents and medical test results.

Central University of Punjab Placements

As one of the top Universities in India, the placement highlights of the Central University of Punjab recruitment season are as follows: 

• Both national and international firms took part in the placement process, for jobs in India and abroad.
• The highest domestic salary offered was INR 6.08 LPA (by DIT University). The highest international salary offered was $52,704 PA (by Case Western Reserve University).
• Different categories of institutions participate in the placement process - prominent Universities in India and abroad (which primarily hire PhD graduates), private companies (primarily based in India), and public sector companies.
• Prominent recruiters include IQVIA (Bangalore), Parexel (Chandigarh), Punjab Agro Industries, Sarv Biolabs (Panchkula), Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Chandigarh University, and Umea University (Sweden).
• The Training & Placement Cell has four full time members, and works to set up MoUs with potential recruiters for both Master’s and PhD students.
• The T&P Cell conducts multiple activities to assist students to perform better in the internship and placement selection stage, including Invited Talks by Distinguished Alumni, workshops on Effective CV Writing, and YouTube resources related to soft skills and interview readiness.
• The median salary offered has steadily grown from INR 3 LPA to INR 4 LPA over the three most recent placement seasons for which data is available, in accordance with CUP’s place as one of the best Universities in Punjab.

Central University of Punjab Cut-Offs

There are no CUET PG cut-offs based on entrance test scores announced in advance. However, in a manner similar to the top Universities in Punjab, after each of the 2/3 rounds of counseling, total score cut-offs are published on the CUP website. Therefore, the cut-offs are only decided at the end of the process. Individual programs may mandate cut-offs based on the aggregate UG percentage; the details can be found in the PG prospectus under the eligibility criteria section.

Central University of Punjab Faculty & Alumni

The Central University of Punjab is home to 181 full time Faculty members. Out of these, 118 (65%) are Assistant Professors, 36 (20%) are Associate Professors, and the remaining 15% are full Professors, some of whom have additional charge as Deans or Heads of Department. 178 out of 181 Faculty members hold PhD degrees, and collectively spearhead the research work for which the University is famous. 173 of the Faculty members are regular employees, and the remainder work as contractors.

The Alumni Cell of the Central University of Punjab was established in 2021, and works to establish strong connections between the current students and graduates of the University in India and abroad. It has three main functions:

• Providing updates to alumni about the latest achievements and occurrences at the University.
• To achieve stronger networking through a combination of Alumni Meets, Conferences, Webinars, Invited Talks, and Mentorship Drives.
• Regularly identify, recognize, and honor distinguished alumni for contributions to the University to inspire current students.

In its first three years, the Alumni Cell has built lasting bonds with post-doctoral students and corporate workers who have graduated from CUP over the first decade of its existence.

Central University of Punjab Scholarships

As in other top Universities in India, there are multiple financial aid options available to students of the Central University of Punjab. 345 students currently receive full tuition fee waivers from University funds, and 191 students receive 100% scholarships via various Punjab State and Central Government schemes.

The Students’ Financial Assistance Fund is the main mechanism through which PG students of CUP can receive tuition fee aid, research grants, and even travel allowances to events. The amount awarded varies depending on the need of the individual student, and the criteria for selection are:

• The overall attendance must exceed 75%.
• The academic performance must be good.
• There should be no academic backlogs in the most recent semester.
• There should be no disciplinary proceedings against the student.

There are also other financial aid opportunities for eligible students. For example, the University has run a scheme called Earn While You Learn (EWYL) since 2015, designed to assist financially weak students by giving them an opportunity to earn a living stipend. These are the highlights of the EWYL program:

• Students are allowed to work up to 50 hours per month, and will be paid INR 100 per hour.
• The cap on the number of hours ensures that it will not interfere with academic commitments.
• Students may be employed in the University library, computer center, store, or laboratories.
• They may also work in the hostel mess or assist professors in maintaining attendance records and coursework.
• Only students who do not receive any other funding from any public or private source are eligible to apply.
• Students are selected based on interest, relevant expertise, and knowledge. However, the final assignment will be done with initial preference to students who are financially needy, differently abled, or less privileged. There will also be an academic merit factor based on the performance in the most recent semester exam or qualifying entrance examination.
• The scheme also allows students to gain valuable work experience that will strengthen their CVs for the final placement season in one of the best Universities in Punjab.

Central University of Punjab Preparation & FAQs

Allocation of seats to PG candidates in the Central University of Punjab will be done on the basis of the CUET PG examination. Therefore, most of the preparation time should be spent on finding a coaching class or using the relevant study materials. For example, students should use interactive live classes, online preparation tools, mock tests, practice questions, and doubt solving sessions. CUET has different papers for different disciplines; therefore, it is important that aspirants check the required paper combination according to their eligibility requirements, and familiarize themselves with the exam pattern, number of questions, and difficulty level so that they are well prepared during the final exam.

Central University of Punjab Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the top University in India?

The Central University of Punjab is one of the best Universities in India. It is ranked #83 among the top Universities in India, according to the NIRF 2024 ranking list. It is ranked #9 among the best Central Universities in India, according to the IIRF 2024 ranking list.

Q. What are the application fees to The Central University of Punjab?

The application fees to study in CUP vary according to the category of the applicant. For example, general category and OBC candidates pay INR 500 to apply, whereas SC and ST applicants pay INR 150 at the time of application.

Q. What are the research achievements of the Central University of Punjab?

As a research oriented University, the Schools and Departments at CUP have been awarded 201 research projects since the inception of the University, with a total funding value of INR 201 crore. In addition, the Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission of Teachers and Teaching has awarded INR 5 crore to the University as a research grant, and DST FIST has awarded nine departments with INR 8.43 crore. Finally, Faculty members and research scholars of CUP have published 1,966 journal papers so far.

Q. What facilities are provided to encourage startup enthusiasts at Central University of Punjab?

The CUP authorities have created multiple organizations to assist students who are interested in starting their own businesses, including three Cells (Incubation, Technology Transfer, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development), the Institution's Innovation Council, and four Student Clubs (Startup, IP, Innovation, and Idea Clubs). Through these, there are both formal and informal means of support, funding, and mentorship for student startups.

Q. What are the expected dates of CUET PG 2025?

CUET PG 2025 is expected to be held over several dates in March 2025, as a computer based test. These scores will be used as the basis for admission to the Central University of Punjab.