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Panjab University: Syndicate’s term ends, V-C to take all decisions now
In line with regulations of PU Calendar, V-C will report all matters as and when new syndicate is formed
The one-year term of the Panjab University (PU) syndicate came to an end on Tuesday.
The members of the syndicate, which is the highest executive of PU, are elected from among the members of the PU senate every year. This year, however, senate elections were not held despite its term ending in October; the vice-chancellor (V-C) had cited the pandemic as the reason.
It was a PU tradition that its executive body would meet once a month; the last meeting of the syndicate was held in July.
Earlier this month, the Punjab and Haryana high court had refused to pass any directions on a plea by seven former Panjab University (PU) senators who were demanding continuation of the terms of the present varsity bodies, including the syndicate, till the senate elections were not held.
The HC had taken note of the submissions by the varsity counsel, who had told the court that there was no need to issue any interim directions, referring to Regulations of Panjab University Calendar that said “whenever there is an urgency, the vice-chancellor (V-C) may take such action as he deems necessary, and report the matter at the next meeting of the syndicate for approval.”
According to the PU Calendar, the executive government of the university will be vested in the syndicate, which has powers to consider and make recommendations to the senate as it deems fit in the matters that include the appointment of officers of Class A, affiliation and disaffiliation of colleges, recommendations of the board of finance relating to the annual budget, supplementary grants, and others.
Terming it as an unprecedented situation, syndicate member Rabindra Nath Sharma said, “It is a blot on the democratic structure of the Panjab University which the authorities are hell-bent on destroying.”
