Chandigarh: Panjab University (PU) has decided to provide all its students insurance cover of Rs.200,000 from the next academic session. A separate insurance cover of Rs.100,000 for the students' parents will also be available.

"This was a long pending demand of students and our negotiations were on for a long time. Now all the formalities have been completed and this insurance policy will be implemented from the next session, covering both new and old students studying in the campus," Naval Kishore, Dean Students' Welfare, PU told sources on Tuesday.

"It is probably the first time in our country that any university is also covering parents of the students under the insurance scheme. We realized that due to the age factor, parents are more vulnerable to medical problems, so we cannot ignore them. So there is a provision of an insurance cover of Rs.100,000 for them," he added.

The insurance cover will include both hospitalization charges and accident risks to students and their parents. Students have to pay a premium of Rs.120 annually, which will be included in their tuition fees.

Established in 1882, PU is one of the oldest universities of the country. It has around 10,000 students studying with girls comprising nearly 70 per cent of total students.

The student fraternity of PU is very enthusiastic and very happy with this decision.

Mani Atwal, a leader of a students' organization of the campus, said: "We are happy that finally the PU authorities have agreed to the students' demand of an insurance policy. However, it is really overwhelming that they have also decided to include our parents in the policy." IANS