No HC relief for two PU senators seeking stay on syndicate polls

While the polls for PU syndicate, the executive arm of the varsity’s senate, are scheduled on July 2, HC sought a response from the varsity by July 4, thereby meaning that the polls can take place as scheduled

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday sought a response from Panjab University (PU) on a plea by two senators, seeking quashing of a varsity notice to hold syndicate polls and a stay on the exercise as an interim measure.

The one-year term of the last PU syndicate had ended in December 2020, but the elections could not be held due to repeated delays in the senate polls amid the Covid-19 pandemic. (HT)

While the polls for syndicate, the executive arm of the varsity’s senate, are scheduled on July 2, the high court bench of justice Anoop Chitkara sought a response from the varsity by July 4, thereby meaning that the polls can take place as scheduled.

The one-year term of the last syndicate had ended in December 2020, but the elections could not be held due to repeated delays in the senate polls amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The plea by senators Harpreet Singh Dua and Naresh Gaur also demanded that the June 23 decision on allotment of fellows of the senate to various faculties be quashed. It further demanded that the June 24 order, calling a senate meeting on July 5, be quashed, as it had been issued without the mandatory 15-day notice.

The plea further sought that the February 13 decision of the senate be quashed, whereby the senate delegated all powers of the syndicate to the vice-chancellor (V-C).

It claimed that even as the senate had not been completely constituted in the absence of elected members for the constituency of faculties, the V-C, in an “illegal and arbitrary manner”, got the senate meeting conducted.

Six candidates were declared elected from the constituency in September last year, but the PU chancellor, in April this year, refused to accord his approval to the election.

The plea argued that the senate had not allotted the fellows to various faculties and decision taken by V-C in this regard is “without any authority or jurisdiction”.

The senate delegated powers of the syndicate to the V-C. But such delegation of power is only permissible on the basis of any statutory provision. In its absence, there is no such power, as is the case in the present dispute, the plea argued.