Desh Bhagat University (DBU) has reserved five seats for girls from Kullu district under its “Shakti Scholarship” scheme, said Prof Prabhjot Singh, Deputy Director of the DBU, at a press conference here on Thursday. The scholarship provides up to 100 per cent fee subsidy for deserving girls from economically-weaker families. The university also offers scholarships to meritorious students, sportspersons and those with disabilities.
Prof Prabhjot Singh said that the university was committed to making quality education accessible across social and economic backgrounds. He added that the university supported underprivileged children by offering free education in select cases. Located at Mandi Gobindgarh in Punjab, the DBU provides more than 170 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in diverse fields. It holds an A+ accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), highlighting its academic excellence.
The university also offers online and distance learning options, enabling students from remote areas to pursue higher education without relocation. Many traditional courses have been integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) to meet the evolving industry needs.
Amit Kukreja, Officer on Special Duty to the president of the DBU, shared the details of the university’s international expansion. In 2024, the DBU established “Desh Bhagat University Americas” in St Vincent and the Grenadines, offering a five-year MD programme equivalent to MBBS. Graduates could practice in the United States after clearing the licensing exams. Kukreja said that while the NEET qualification was not mandatory for admission, students must have appeared in NEET to enroll. However, clearing NEET was compulsory for those wishing to practice medicine in India.
Tracing the DBU’s history, Kukreja said that the Desh Bhagat Group was founded in 1972 by Chancellor Zora Singh in the memory of his father, Sardar Lal Singh, a freedom fighter who had served in Subhas Chandra Bose’s army. The group of institutions was established in 1996 and gained the university status in 2012. The DBU’s guiding principles included research, innovation, entrepreneurship, affordable education and nation-building through skilled professionals, he added.
Through initiatives like the Shakti Scholarship and international collaborations, the DBU continues to expand opportunities for students while upholding its mission of inclusive and progressive education.
