Pandit Sundarlal Sharma Open University

Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University (PSSOU) Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur was established by the Chhattisgarh legislature in the 55thyear of the republic of India. The Governor of the state accorded his assent to it on on 20th January, 2005 and the act was published in the Chhatisgarh Gazette (extra ordinary) no. 20 Raipur, Monday the 24th January, 2005. Dr. T.D. Sharma joined this university as the first Vice-Chancellor on 2nd March, 2005 while Dr. Sharad Kumar Vajpai takes office as Registrar on the 15th March, 2005. The university was formally inaugurated by the former Vice Prime Minister, Govt. of India and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Shri Lal Krishna Advani at a function presided over by the honorable Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Dr. Raman Singh attended by Shri Ajay Chandrakar (Minister of Higher Education), Shri Amar Agrawal (Minister of Finance) along with large number of dignitaries and guest who graced the occasion with their presence. On this occasion Shri Advaniji said in his address …. ‘Centre of gravity of the society is fast changing…... first of all man dominated the society on his physical strength, later on economic strength overshadowed it, and now the education strength dominates….’. He further said that whenever centre of ability opens, society develops all around and that wherever general university fails, Open University comes forward to the development of all kinds of people. Thus true to his intellectual status as thinker shri Advaniji underlined the importance of Open University system in the present age. To provide wide scope and development to the university, responsibility lies with the chief minister Dr. Raman Singh who emphatically expressed that study centers of the university will be opened from in the far flung areas of the state, especially in the tribal belt from Bastar to Sarguja. Thus all sub-division and blocks headquarters tribal belt of the state will be opened. This way all sub-divisions and block headquarters will be connected to the university through these study centers and will have facility of wider education, of better library and guidance. Thus the dream we saw at the fulfilled. The State Government has promised to render all possible help in the consolidation of the university and in achieving its goals.