The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) on Thursday sought the schedule of senate elections from Panjab University (PU) by July 16.
The bench of justice AG Masih and justice AK Verma observed that in view of the present situation, this court is of the firm view that the direction issued by the single-judge bench with regard to holding of the election needs to be complied with.
The court was hearing a plea from PU challenging the judgment which asked the varsity to hold polls within two months, in March. The HC in March had criticised the role of vice-chancellor Raj Kumar and directed PU to conduct senate polls within two months. Its order came on the plea of seven former senators, who had moved the court on December 22 seeking directions to hold governing body polls.
The term of the senate, the apex governing body of PU, ended on October 31, 2020. Elections were to take place in August 2020, but varsity deferred the same citing Covid-19 as the reason. The single-judge bench had criticised the V-C’s role and observed that provisions on governance had been thrown “off to the winds” and the university was being run as a “one-man show”.
PU in the appeal filed on May 13 had argued that March 23 judgment was not only contrary to facts but also to three division bench judgments in which decision on various steps taken in view of pandemic were upheld by the HC in the matters of admissions etc. The directions are untenable because the varsity is bound to follow restrictions/prohibitions imposed by the respective states during the pandemic period, PU had stated. On May 13, the HC had deferred the hearing in view of the raging pandemic. The matter will now be taken up on July 19.
{{/usCountry}}PU in the appeal filed on May 13 had argued that March 23 judgment was not only contrary to facts but also to three division bench judgments in which decision on various steps taken in view of pandemic were upheld by the HC in the matters of admissions etc. The directions are untenable because the varsity is bound to follow restrictions/prohibitions imposed by the respective states during the pandemic period, PU had stated. On May 13, the HC had deferred the hearing in view of the raging pandemic. The matter will now be taken up on July 19.
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