A Panjab University (PU) committee, formed to look into the issue of mandatory affidavit on permission for holding protests that students seeking admissions are required to submit, on Monday recommended against this clause. It stated that students should rather be asked to intimate the authorities before holding protests. At the same time, students from different parties staged a protest outside the vice chancellor’s office, seeking withdrawal of such conditions.
Prof Dinesh Kumar from the department of laws, faculty-in-charge for campus security and also a member of the committee, said, “The purpose is to make students inform us about their protest schedule so that adequate security measures are ensured. We recommended that in the affidavit, the ‘permission’ word be replaced with ‘intimation’.”
Members said the panel couldn’t reach a consensus on replacing the affidavit with students’ undertaking.
PU officials said that an interim order from a local court in December 2024 had also specified various conditions for holding protests which are routinely flouted but PU has not sought contempt proceedings against students as this is not what the university officials want.
Representatives of all student parties were called for the meeting but most of them boycotted it, said officials. Students led by former Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) president Anurag Dalal, along with members of different student parties, staged a protest outside the V-C office as he alleged that the meeting was called to deflect from the issue. Students refused to meet Dean Students Welfare (DSW) Amit Chauhan who said he was willing to listen to the students so that their grievances could be looked into by PU authorities.
Later, the protesters were told to meet the Dean of University Instruction, but they walked out of the meeting. Dalal said, “We are not willing to talk about any amendment. We want withdrawal of such conditions. We will continue our protest till that time.”
{{/usCountry}}Later, the protesters were told to meet the Dean of University Instruction, but they walked out of the meeting. Dalal said, “We are not willing to talk about any amendment. We want withdrawal of such conditions. We will continue our protest till that time.”
{{/usCountry}}The controversy began after PU made submission of an affidavit mandatory for students seeking admission to the varsity under which they have to take permission for protests. They can hold protests only at the designated site on campus. They can’t do so in residential areas or cause noise pollution. They also can’t deface PU property. PU can debar students from appearing in exams or cancel their admission if students flout these rules.