The Department of Punjabi was culled out of Department of Modern Indian Languages (now known as Department of M.I.L.& Literary Studies) in 1985, with a faculty that has included, world renowned scholars like Prof. Harbhajan Singh, Prof. Attar Singh, Prof. Tarlok Singh Kanwar, Prof. Atamjit Singh, Prof.S S Noor. The department prides itself for having produced some of the finest alumni who have gone on to become reputed academicians in various universities in India and Abroad.

With a remarkable legacy of being the nerve centre for Delhi School of Punjabi Criticism, the department has kept up with the changing times by hosting national and international conferences and seminars, memorial lectures, Diaspora series annually. The platform provided by the department for live wire interactions among thinkers, writers and teachers on one hand, and between the intellectuals and the students on the other hand, has ensured that the department remains at the centre of Punjabi literature and culture’s dynamic transformation through the decades.

The Department of Punjabi has also ensured that keeps its dialogue with the college teachers by ensuring regular workshops, promoting Co-operative and Guest teaching under the faculty improvement scheme and by taking keen interest in promoting Punjabi language at the Under-graduate level. The department offers admissions to Ph.D., M.Phil., M.A., Certificate and Diploma Courses in Punjabi.

The Department’s faculty has been honoured with some of the highest civilian honours/Awards such as Padma Shri for Prof. Attar Singh, Kabir and Saraswati Samman for Prof. Harbhajan Singh, Sahitya Akademi Award for Prof S.S. Noor, Majlis-e-Bulleh Shah International Award from Pakistan for Prof. Kuljit Shellie, (former Dean, Faculty of Arts) and Antar Rashtri Sahitkar/Kalakawr Award (2002) from International Association of Punjabi Authors and Artists Inc. Canada and Modern Literary Scholar Award (2002) by Punjabi Academy, Wolverhampton, U.K. for Dr. Manjit Singh. Almost all the present faculty members (mentioned separately on page No. 3) have been honoured with other local and state level Awards for their contributions to Punjabi Literature.

Currently, the Department is flourishing under Dr. Manjit Singh’s (Associate Professor) Headship.

Some more significant aspects of the Department:-

Punjabi department of this prestigious university is known as Delhi School of Punjabi Literary Criticism worldwide in response to its unique contributions in the concerned field of knowledge.

This department has been holding Prof. Harbhajan Singh Memorial Lecture every year since 2003. Eminent scholars from different fields of knowledge have been delivering lectures on different aspects of Punjabi Language, Literature & Culture as well as on other fields of knowledge.

Department has been holding National Seminars every year pertaining to different aspects of Indian & Western Poetics with special references to Punjabi ethos.

Department has been conducting Parvasi (Diaspora) Punjabi Literature Lecture Series from time to time. Under this category, eminent Punjabi writers and thinkers from abroad have been addressing our students and faculty members as well.

To promote Indo-Pak cultural ties/relations, faculty members of our department have been visiting Pakistan to attend International Literary & Cultural conferences & other allied programmes to initiate academic and cultured dialogue. In addition to this, a fullfledged course of study entitled “Pakistani Punjabi Literature” is an integral part of our academic curriculum. Many students of our department at M.Phil & Ph.D. level have completed and pursuing research projects on the different aspects of Pakistani Literature & Culture.

Our department’s commitment towards comparative & Inter-disciplinary studies sis beyond doubt. We have recently re-structured & re-designed our Syllabi with a futuristic approach, keeping in mind the new challenges of Globalization & Postsituations.

Our department’s special endeavor is to acclimatize our students with the latest advance technologies pertaining to research and encyclopedic works. A company known as C-DEC, Center for Development & Advance Computing (Noida) has been taking services of our students in this regard

Diploma/Certificate Course in Punjabi :- Revised  Time Table (new)

M.A. (Punjabi) :- Table of Semester I-2 , Time-Table of Semester II-2

M.Phil. (Punjabi) :- Revised Time Table (new)

On the occasion of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Memorial National Education Day, Punjabi Department organized a special lecture on Punjabi Drama & Theatre on 9th November 2009. Prof. Satish Kumar Verma (Director, Department of Youth Welfare, Punjabi University, Patiala) delivered this lecture.

Punjabi Department organized a Joint Workshop of Punjabi Teachers of Delhi University on 13th November 2009 to discuss various aspects of re-structuring, re-designing of Under-graduate courses of Punjabi, under Semester System expected to be implemented from the forthcoming academic session 2010-2011.

Punjabi Department organized a face-to-face programme with Smt. Kailashpuri ----- an eminent Punjabi fiction writer of U.K. on 18th February 2010.

Punjabi Department organized a special lecture on Folkloristics and Folklore of Punjab on 3rd March 2010, Prof Karamjit Singh of Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra delivered this lecture.

Punjabi Department organized Prof. Harbhajan Singh Memorial Lecture on ‘Genetics, Culture & Poetry’, on 9th March 2010 Prof. Gurumel Singh of California State University; Fresno (U.S.A.) delivered this lecture.Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor Prof. Deepak Pental was the Chief Guest & Principal (Dr.) Jaswinder Singh presided over the function. Prof. Pental & Dr. Jaswinder Singh also shared their very significant and meaningful views on the subject concerned.

Punjabi Department organized a face-to-face programme with Uktamoy Khodrova of Uzbekistan and Swaranjit Sawi of Ludhiana on 19th November 2009.

Punjabi Department organized a face-to-face programme with film producer Shri. Amrik Gill of Mumbai on 2nd February 2010.

Punjabi Department organized a face-to-face programme with Dr. Davinder Kaur of U.K and Shri Kirat Singh Inqalabi from J & K --- eminent writer of Punjabi letters on 15th March 2010.

Punjabi Department organized a face-to-face programme with Patrick Frolicker from Germany on 16th March 2010.

Punjabi Department organized a two-days National Seminar on “Colonialism, Post-Colonialism and Literature”, on 30th –31st March 2010 in collaboration with Punjabi Academy, Delhi. Twenty eminent scholars of different languages from different Universities/departments actively participated in the debate on the subject concerned. Shri A.S. Grewal (Advisor, World Punjabi Centre, Punjabi University, Patiala) presented the keynote address and Prof. Nayanjot Lahiri (Hon’ble dean Colleges, D.U.) was the Chief Guest of this prestigious seminar. Prof. Lahiri touched the basic theme of the seminar and handled the significant related concept beautifully by highlighting the formulations and insights during her inaugural address.