Covid-19 lockdown hits college affiliation work at Panjab University

Even though the varsity had prepared for the inspections at different colleges, not a single visit has been possible ever since the lockdown started

With work hit at Panjab University, Chandigarh, due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the process of granting affiliation to various colleges is in limbo this year.

Panjab University (PU) has more than 190 affiliated colleges and over 100 colleges are granted temporary affiliation every year. Usually, the inspection committees of the university make visits to these colleges in April and May, following which reports are submitted to the PU syndicate.

Even though the varsity had prepared for the inspections at different colleges, not a single visit has been possible ever since the lockdown started.

PU’s former vice-chancellor ( V-C) Arun Kumar Grover said, “At this moment, the university authorities cannot afford to take any step that is not in the best interest of the students. They have an option to continue with the affiliations they had granted last year because a lot of students’ time has already been wasted due to the lockdown.”

One of the syndicate members, professor Navdeep Goyal, said, “I think the university should extend the affiliations for one more year after it reopens,” adding, “Even if the temporary affiliations are continued, the impact of the lockdown is going to be more on the plans of the colleges to open new courses. “

He further said that once the university reopens, the authorities can create a template that can be filled in by colleges before opening a new course. “Based on the information provided by colleges through the template, the PU syndicate can take a final decision,” he added.

PU senator Inderpal Singh Sidhu, who is an assistant professor at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, said, “Since the lockdown has disrupted the inspection process, it is advisable that colleges having affiliation in previous session are allowed to proceed further for new admissions in the upcoming session.”

“The colleges which want to run new courses may apply online and send details to the university, following which they may be accorded provisional affiliation subject to the validation of documents submitted to the university,” he said.

Dean college development council (DCDC), PU, Sanjay Kaushik, said, “We had made all the preparations for granting affiliations to colleges before the lockdown began. Now, once the university reopens, we will take a call with the due permission of the competitive authority.”