Panjab University, Chandigarh traces its origins to 1882, when it was established as the University of Punjab at Lahore (now in Pakistan). Following the partition of India in 1947, the university was re-established in India and formally incorporated under the Panjab University Act VII of 1947, enacted by the Government of India. It is jointly funded by the Central and Punjab State Governments and today functions as one of India's oldest and most prominent multi-disciplinary universities, spread over 550 acres across its North Campus (Sector 14) and South Campus (Sector 25) in Chandigarh — encompassing academic, administrative, sports/recreational, and residential zones. The university comprises 74 well-equipped teaching and research departments along with 15 centres/chairs, and serves as an affiliating body for 202 affiliated colleges spread across Punjab, one Rural Regional Centre at Kauni, three Regional Centres (Muktsar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur), and 6 constituent colleges located at Sikhwala (Sri Muktsar Sahib), Balachaur (SBS Nagar), Nihalsingh Wala (Moga), Dharamkot (Moga), Mokham Khan Wala (Ferozepur), and Guru Harsahai (Ferozepur). Panjab University Library was formally inaugurated on 23 October 1963 by Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. As per NIRF 2025, Panjab University is ranked #35 among Indian universities overall and features in the 11-50 band for the Innovation category. It holds NAAC A++ accreditation with a CGPA of 3.68 on a four-point scale. Globally, it is ranked #901-950 in the QS World University Rankings 2026, #601-800 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025, and among the top 3.9% of Higher Education Institutions worldwide by the Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR) 2025. The university has also won the prestigious MAKA Trophy for overall top performance in Inter-University Tournaments for three consecutive years (2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21). Panjab University offers a vast range of programmes across Arts, Sciences, Engineering & Technology (via the University Institute of Engineering and Technology, UIET), Management (via the University Business School, UBS), Law, Pharmacy, Education, and more, at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. Admissions to most programmes are through the PU-CET (UG/PG), with separate entrance tests for specific programmes — PU-MET for MBA, PU-THAT for Hotel Management/Tourism, and PU-LEET/law entrance tests for integrated law programmes. Traditional courses (e.g. BA, B.Sc, M.A., M.Sc in many departments) are known for relatively nominal fees, while self-financing/professional courses (B.E./B.Tech, MBA, MCA) carry substantially higher fees. Fee structure (approximate ranges as reported via official notifications and verified aggregator data, AY 2023-25 onward): traditional UG/PG courses (BA, B.Sc, M.A., M.Sc in Arts/Science departments) range from roughly Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 1.5 lakh for the full course depending on subject and duration; B.E./B.Tech at UIET ranges roughly Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 6 lakh for the full 4-year course depending on category and branch; MBA at the University Business School (UBS) ranges roughly Rs. 4.8 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh for the 2-year programme; MCA and other professional PG courses range roughly Rs. 84,000 to Rs. 5.7 lakh. PhD fees typically range from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1.5 lakh depending on discipline. Exact, current, semester-wise fee notifications (updated annually) are published on the official Finance & Accounts fee structure page and should be checked there for the specific department and category before admission. Panjab University's Central Placement Cell (CPC) coordinates placements across departments. The University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) reported an average package of around Rs. 8.5-9.11 LPA and a highest package as high as Rs. 42-56 LPA (off-campus, in various recent years) across 2022-2025 placement cycles, with top recruiters including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, IBM, Deloitte, American Express, Cisco, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, KPMG, Nestlé, and Mahindra & Mahindra. The University Business School (UBS) MBA programme reported a top package of around Rs. 58.48 LPA in 2023 and placement rates in the 90% range in recent cycles.