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Hold senate polls in 2 months: HC to Panjab University
The Punjab and Haryana high court pulls up vice-chancellor Raj Kumar for delay, says university being run as a one-man show
Criticising the role of vice-chancellor Raj Kumar, the Punjab and Haryana high court has directed Panjab University to hold its senate polls within two months.
The order came on the plea of seven former senators, who had moved the high 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 and the syndicate’s term got over on December 31. The varsity is without a governing body now. Elections were to take place in August, but the varsity deferred them citing Covid-19 pandemic as the reason.
“Little did the enacters of the Panjab University Act, 1947, would have realised that what they have framed as a comprehensive and exhaustive legislation would come to be a tool in the hands of its own academic officer, pursuing not the educational goals but satisfying his own personal ends and thereby in the process virtually oust its own governing body, looking after the management and superintendence of this August institution once of international fame and oldest in this country,” the bench of justice Fatehdeep Singh observed, while questioning the V-C’s role in delaying the elections.
The bench further observed that provisions on governance have been thrown “off to the winds” and the university is being run as a “one-man show”.
‘Can’t postpone indefinitely’
On the varsity’s argument that the elections were deferred in view of the Covid-19 situation, the court observed that the argument is apparently a way to duck the obligations, at a time when elections are being conducted to various institutions, including state assemblies and local bodies, throughout the country.
No doubt the V-C is empowered to postpone the elections for the time being, but this does not clothe him with unbridled powers to carry on indefinitely when throughout the country elections are being held, the bench added. It further recorded that all was not well with the decision of the authorities to defer the polls and it could have been done with “motive and malice”.
‘Decision smacks of caprice’
As for the argument that the new education policy is to be implemented and it calls for a re-examination of the governance structure, the court said its implementation is too far-fetched a proposition and till that time regulations on governance, which call for the polls, can’t be put into a “cold freezer.”
It further said that for properly running the university and ensuring that the very purpose of its formation is not jeopardised, the election needs to be held at the earliest so that it does not lead to autocratic governance affecting democratic functioning of the institution.
“In a democratic system, elections need to be held periodically, which in turn leads to democratic governance and thus are a very essential function in decision making. Besides, it leads to accountability, resulting in better and efficient running/governance of an institution,” the court said, recording that the decision of the varsity “smacks of mala fide, caprice” and is in utter violation of the law governing it.
Now, the V-C has been asked to complete the poll process by all means within two months. Reacting to the development, the V-C said the varsity will abide by the directions of the high court.
