Senate elections: HC puts Panjab University on notice

Action comes on a plea from seven ex-senators demanding senate election

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday put Panjab University on notice on a plea from seven ex-senators demanding senate election.

The high court bench of justice Fateh Deep Singh acting on the plea by Keshav Malhotra and six others has sought response by January 12. The plea demands direction for holding senate polls and quashing August 15 orders of the PU vice-chancellor, whereby elections were deferred indefinitely. It also demands that the October 16 communication of the UT administration, asking PU to defer election, be set aside.

The senate is the apex governing body of PU with 91 members, out of which 36 are nominated by the varsity’s chancellor. Its term ended on October 31.

The plea alleges that certain individuals from the ruling political dispensation at the Centre in order to avoid an unsuccessful contest for polls initially pressurised the varsity to defer the elections and have now started another agenda for abolishing the senate.

The plea says it should be examined whether the V-C can defer the senate elections without the syndicate’s approval, and further whether the affairs and governance of the varsity can be vested in the V-C in the absence of the two bodies.

They have also demanded that record pertaining to this issue be summoned, and till the time elections are not held, the senate and such other bodies, including the syndicate, be allowed to function as they were before the expiry of their term.

It was also demanded that the V-C be issued direction to convene ordinary meeting of the senate as prescribed in the law, as complete governance and superintendence of affairs of the varsity are vested with the senate and PU cannot be left without the apex governing body.