PTU affiliation still pending: 10,000 Punjab healthcare students in limbo as Oct 31 deadline hits
By TUF News Desk · Published 31 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
For close to 10,000 students in Punjab, the academic year started in July and still has no paperwork behind it. They enrolled in allied healthcare courses, they have sat in classes for nearly three months, and their mid-term examinations have not been held. The reason is administrative: I. K. Gujral Punjab Technical University has not yet issued affiliation orders for their colleges for the 2026-27 session.
The holdup covers nearly 90 colleges across the state. Without an affiliation order, a college cannot run a course formally under the university, which leaves students unsure whether the classes they are attending will count toward a recognised degree.
How the delay built up
The chain of events started with the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions, which recently changed its rules on course names and curriculum. The university held off on the affiliation process while it waited for a University Grants Commission notification endorsing the commission’s courses. That notification came on August 27.
What followed was a second wait. The university asked the commission for clarification on two courses in particular, BSc Cardiac Care Technology and BSc Operation Theatre Technology, where objections had been raised. When that answer did not settle the matter, it had to seek further clarification. Each round added weeks, and the affiliation orders are still pending.
Admissions to these courses, meanwhile, are still open, and the deadline falls on October 31. That is the date now pressing on both colleges and students: seats are being filled for courses whose affiliation status is unresolved.
What colleges are asking for
Dr Anshu Kataria, president of the Punjab Unaided Colleges Association, has written to the Punjab health minister asking the state government to take the matter up with the commission. His request is specific: treat Punjab as a special case and extend the admission deadline by a month. The point of the extension, as he put it, is to make sure nearly 10,000 students do not lose an academic year because of delays they did not cause.
The university, for its part, has said it expects the picture to clear soon. Registrar Dr Navdeepak Sandhu said the university expects clarity from the state commission on November 1. He added that the university does not want to flout any rules and will go by the commission’s final decision. Courses where the commission has no objection on name or syllabus will surely be allowed to run, he said. For the rest, the university will follow the laid-out procedure.
For students already in class, the immediate question is narrower than the policy dispute. It is whether their course gets its affiliation order, and whether their mid-term examinations can then be held. The answer to both now rests on what the state commission says next.
Students and colleges can check the official IKGPTU website for affiliation notices and updates. Our guide to central, state and private universities explains how affiliation and state universities work in India.
Frequently asked questions
Why are IKGPTU affiliation orders for allied healthcare courses still pending?
The university waited for a UGC notification endorsing National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions courses, which came on August 27, and then sought clarification from the commission on BSc Cardiac Care Technology and BSc Operation Theatre Technology, where objections had been raised. A second round of clarification followed, and the orders are still pending.
How many students and colleges are affected by the IKGPTU affiliation delay?
Nearly 90 colleges and around 10,000 allied healthcare students in Punjab are affected for the 2026-27 academic session.
What is the admission deadline for these allied healthcare courses?
Admissions to the courses close on October 31, 2026. The Punjab Unaided Colleges Association has asked for a one-month extension.
When does IKGPTU expect clarity on the affiliation issue?
University Registrar Dr Navdeepak Sandhu said the university expects clarity from the state commission on November 1, and that courses with no objection on nomenclature or syllabus will be allowed to run.
Frequently asked questions
Why are IKGPTU affiliation orders for allied healthcare courses still pending?
The university waited for a UGC notification endorsing National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions courses, which came on August 27, and then sought clarification from the commission on BSc Cardiac Care Technology and BSc Operation Theatre Technology, where objections had been raised. A second round of clarification followed, and the orders are still pending.
How many students and colleges are affected by the IKGPTU affiliation delay?
Nearly 90 colleges and around 10,000 allied healthcare students in Punjab are affected for the 2026-27 academic session.
What is the admission deadline for these allied healthcare courses?
Admissions to the courses close on October 31, 2026. The Punjab Unaided Colleges Association has asked for a one-month extension.
When does IKGPTU expect clarity on the affiliation issue?
University Registrar Dr Navdeepak Sandhu said the university expects clarity from the state commission on November 1, and that courses with no objection on nomenclature or syllabus will be allowed to run.
Sources: The Tribune, The Times of India