Chandigarh, 20 August (H.S.) :

Former Punjab Chief Minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi appeared

for his Master of Public Administration examination at Panjab University on

Thursday.

Channi, 63, was seen writing his paper among

other students in the examination hall, while his security personnel and staff

remained outside. After completing the exam, he said he had studied until

around 2 am and slept for only three hours before waking up at 5 am to prepare

for the examination.

Channi said he was proud to be a student of

Panjab University and would remain connected with the university throughout his

life. He said this was the final paper of his Master of Public Administration

course and that he had now completed 20 papers.

According to Channi, he had secured around 70

per cent marks in an earlier result and 74 per cent in the previous semester.

Results of three papers are still awaited.

He said he has already completed a BA, an MA in

Political Science, an MBA and a law degree, besides PhD in Political Science

from Panjab University in 2023.

Channi said he now wants to work in the field

of public administration and policy reforms and plans to pursue further

research focusing on improving governance and policy implementation in Punjab.

He said he has been studying and researching in this area for around

four-and-a-half years.

Speaking about public policy, Channi said he

would like to work on a model aimed at improving government functioning,

reducing corruption and strengthening welfare delivery. He also advocated free

education and healthcare, particularly for poor and middle-class families.

Channi also explained his absence from the

Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi, saying he had taken written

permission from the party high command because of his examination. He said

missing the exam would have delayed his degree and research work by a year.

Recalling an earlier incident from 2016,

Channi said Rahul Gandhi had once arranged an aircraft for him so that he could

attend a Congress meeting and still reach his examination on time.

Channi

had earlier completed his PhD research on the Indian National Congress,

focusing on the party’s central organisation and electoral strategies in Lok

Sabha elections since 2004.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH