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PU senate elections: No relief to former senators from high court
The high court vacation bench of justice Karamjit Singh has sought a response from the varsity on this application and adjourned the matter for January 12.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday refused to pass any directions on the plea by seven former Panjab University (PU) senators demanding directions for continuation of present varsity bodies, including the syndicate, till the senate elections are held.
The former senators had moved an application over their December 22 plea seeking urgent intervention of the high court stating that in the absence of the senate and syndicate, there would be no administrative body left for decision making and the varsity administration would “collapse”.
The high court vacation bench of justice Karamjit Singh has sought a response from the varsity on this application and adjourned the matter for January 12, on which date the main case is already fixed for hearing.
The HC took note of varsity counsel’s submissions who had told court that there is no need to issue any interim directions and had referred to ‘Regulations of Panjab University Calendar’ which says “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.”
The fresh plea had stated that the syndicate’s term would expire on December 31 and there would be no executive body left to administer the matters of the university. “As a matter of fact, all decisions are been taken by its V-C, in anticipation of approval of the syndicate and when there would be no authority, the entire functioning of the university would collapse,” the court was told adding that interim directions as per the existing arrangement be allowed to continue till the elections of the senate are held.
The term of the senate, the apex governing body of PU, ended on October 31 and the syndicate’s term would get over on December 31. The varsity has not decided on holding elections due to the pandemic.
In their December 22 plea, the former senators had demanded holding of senate polls and quashing August 15 orders of PU V-C whereby elections were deferred indefinitely. They had alleged that political party at the Centre and people affiliated with it were deliberately delaying the polls. It was also demanded to examine whether the V-C could defer the elections of the senate without approval of the syndicate.
