Chandigarh, Sept. 5 -- On his maiden visit to Panjab University (PU), Vice President of India and PU chancellor CP Radhakrishnan on Friday set an ambitious target for the university-to break into the top 100 universities in the world within the next five years. Addressing students and faculty at the Law Auditorium, Radhakrishnan highlighted PU's illustrious legacy, pointing to its alumni who have gone on to become prime ministers, Nobel laureates and distinguished sportspersons. Building on this legacy, he urged the university to aspire to a place among the world's leading institutions and expressed confidence that PU could join the global top 100 in the coming years. His message came against the backdrop of PU falling from the 901-950 band in the 2025 QS World University Rankings to the 1,001-1,200 band in the 2027 rankings released in June 2026. Nationally, too, it slipped from 32nd to 43rd. In The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, the varsity retained its place in the 601-800 band for the third year in a row. Private universities in the region, including Chandigarh University in Gharuan and Shoolini University in Solan, however, performed better. In some respite, PU improved to 57th overall in the latest 2025 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings, compared to 60th in 2024. Setting the target, the Vice President asked the gathering to reach out to him with suggestions on improving the university's global rankings. The task is cut out for the varsity, which has steadily lost its standing over the years. In the 2013-14 Times Higher Education rankings, PU had ranked in the 226-250 band globally-its highest-ever position and the highest among Indian institutions at the time, much to the surprise of many. When the NIRF rankings began in 2016, PU was ranked 12th among universities. A decade later, it stands at 60th. During his visit, Radhakrishnan also inaugurated the Advanced Instrumentation Facility at the Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility/Central Instrumentation Laboratories (SAIF/CIL). He also unveiled the Panjab University Tech Innovation Forum (PU-TIF). SAIF/CIL and PU-TIF represent important components of the university's ecosystem for academic, applied and translational research, providing advanced analytical, incubation and entrepreneurial support to researchers, innovators and industry. Describing the day's inaugurations as two important milestones, he said the installation of five advanced scientific instruments-Atomic Force Microscope, Raman Spectrometer, DNA Sequencer, Flow Cytometer and FTIR Spectrometer-would significantly strengthen the university's research capabilities in fields including nanotechnology, materials science, environmental science and genomics. The Vice President also addressed campus safety, stating that following the death of a PhD student in July, he had immediately directed the university authorities to undertake a comprehensive safety audit of the entire campus. He said an internal committee had been constituted to review the existing infrastructure and submit a detailed report, and stressed that the safety and well-being of students and staff must remain the university's highest priority. While the governors of Punjab and Haryana were present at the event, Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari urged the Vice President to push for a centrally funded university dedicated to research and innovation in semiconductors and robotics in Chandigarh. He pointed out that the first semiconductor laboratory was set up in Mohali in the 1980s. Tewari cited the example of Andhra Pradesh, which has been sanctioned Rs.730 crore by the Centre for research and innovation in AI and quantum computing. Radhakrishnan advised Tewari to raise the demand in Parliament and assured him that he would work to put PU at the forefront of research. The exchange also took a lighthearted turn, with Radhakrishnan teasing Tewari that political compulsions had prompted him to make the demand. Referring to his own experience of being "back-stabbed" in politics, the Vice President quipped that Tewari would know all about it. However, Tewari joined the gathering in applause as Radhakrishnan spoke of helping PU become the best university in India....