Chandigarh: Punjab edu minister writes to Dhankhar over PU senate elections

After Bains received representation from the protesting senators, He said it has come to his notice that the term of the senate is expiring on October 31, while notification of the elections has not been done

Taking the senate elections issue forward, Punjab higher education minister Harjot Singh Bains has written to Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also the chancellor of Panjab University (PU), over conducting the senate elections. Meanwhile, senators and students also organised a protest outside the admin block in PU on Thursday.

Senators and students during a protest outside the admin block in PU on Thursday. (HT Photo)

After Bains received representation from the protesting senators, He said it has come to his notice that the term of the senate is expiring on October 31, while notification of the elections has not been done. “The senate is a democratic body, which works towards the academic mission, strategy, educational policy and programming of the university,” he said while urging Dhankhar to immediately constitute the body after the expiration of its term.

Sri Anandpur Sahib MP Malvinder Singh Kang, who had raised the issue of PU’s financial condition in the Parliament, also wrote a letter to Dhankhar on the same issue. While talking about the delay, Kang also added that there are unsettling reports that the democratic election process of the senate is set to be replaced by nominations. “Such an alteration would undermine the university’s democratic ethos and diminish the voice of the graduate electorate, which has always played a critical role in the governance of the institution,” he added.

On Tuesday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal also criticised the delay, alleging that it is part of a conspiracy by the Centre to undermine the university’s autonomy. Meanwhile, a protest was also organised outside the administration block of PU on Thursday. Senators and student parties had collectively organised the protest.

Some of the senators who were present here included Inderpal Singh Sidhu, Sandeep Singh Sikri, Ravinder Singh Dhaliwal, Simranjit Singh Dhillon and Shaminder Singh Sandhu. They were also joined by various student parties. Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) president Anurag Dalal was also present and said that the students are with the senators.

A memorandum was handed to PU registrar YP Verma. He said he has told senators that the election schedule had been sent to the chancellor’s office four times but no response has come till now. PU had also sent a representation of 15 senators to the Vice-President’s office around a month back regarding the senate elections.

Meanwhile, some senators have also approached the Punjab and Haryana high court regarding the matter. One of the petitioners, Jagwant Singh, said he has filed a petition to get the term of the body extended by another year claiming that the term of the senate had been shortened from four years to three years in 2021 and this is in contravention to the Panjab University Act. The case is listed on October 28 for PU to file its reply.

The senate is the apex body of the university and has the entire management of, and superintendence over the affairs, concerns and property of the university. It comprises 91 members. Of these, 47 are elected from eight constituencies and the rest are nominated or ex-officio members. PU is also unlikely to hold a meeting of the senate now before its term expires on October 31.