E-Paper
Former Panjab University senators demand release of poll schedule
Officials say if there is a third Covid wave after six to eight weeks, as apprehended by experts, it may delay the election process further
With the second Covid wave ebbing, former senators of Panjab University (PU) have demanded that the schedule for the senate polls is announced.
The seven ex-senators, who had earlier approached high court seeking that the polls are conducted, have now written to vice-chancellor Raj Kumar and the registrar requesting them to notify the election schedule.
The letter states, “Amid the decline in Covid cases, even state governments have relaxed lockdown restrictions and allowed gymnasiums, shops, restaurants etc to reopen. The UT administration has also permitted higher educational institutions to open from June 19. Hence, there is no reason to delay the election process and the schedule must be released at the earliest.”
PU had deferred the senate polls, which was scheduled to start from April 26, due to surge in Covid cases. The varsity had announced the schedule after the HC had pulled up V-C Raj Kumar for the delay.
Ex-senator Navdeep Goyal said, “Covid cases have now dipped considerably. We have enough space where meetings of faculties can be held while adhering to Covid norms. As the senate polls is a long process, the university should announce the schedule immediately. ”
The ex-senators said that if there is third Covid wave after six to eight weeks as apprehended by experts, it may not be possible to complete the election process before that, if the schedule is not announced immediately.
Meanwhile, registrar Vikram Nayyar said, “After considering all relevant aspects, the varsity will take appropriate decisions.”
The senate is a 91-member apex governing body of PU, in which 47 members are elected from various constituencies. The four-year term of the last senate had ended on October 31, 2020. While the elections were scheduled to start in August last year, it was postponed twice by V-C Raj Kumar amid the pandemic. The varsity is presently functioning without a governing body.
