To bridge the gap between industry and academia, Punjab’s Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training will establish polytechnic advisory boards (PABs) in all 26 government polytechnics in the state.These boards will function as industry-facing institutional governance and development bodies, dealing with industry linkages, corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnerships, training modernisation, placement facilitation and institutional development planning.The bodies were notified as industry advisory boards in March this year but have now been rechristened PABs. Fresh guidelines defining their composition, expanded roles, responsibilities and financial powers have been circulated among the principals and other stakeholders.Each PAB will include a leading industrialist from the area as chairperson, three representatives of MSME units from the district or adjoining areas, a nominee from an NIT or IIT, an alumnus working in a senior engineering role, the General Manager of the District Industries Centre and the college principal as member-convener.The chairperson must head a company with an annual turnover of at least Rs 10 crore during the past three years, have at least five years of operations and employ a minimum of 25 persons.The PABs will map industry demand, provide faculty exposure and secure placements for 80 per cent of students through three annual placement drives. They will also mobilise funds through CSR contributions and donations from individuals, charitable organisations and industry members.Technical Education Minister Harjot Bains said the government was working to skill students with greater industry involvement.However, the Polytechnic College Gazetted Teachers’ Association (PCGTA), Punjab, has opposed the move. The association represents lecturers, senior lecturers, heads of departments, assistant directors and deputy directors in government polytechnic colleges.PCGTA president Jasvir Singh Gill alleged that registration of PABs as societies, corporate funding, broad administrative powers and industry-led management could lead to privatisation and corporate control of public institutions.Gill said the guidelines compromised the administrative hierarchy and service conditions of government staff and created a parallel institutional hierarchy. The association cited the Lehragagga College society model as a precedent.