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Panjab University Bachao Morcha issues statement to make PU a state university

By, Chandigarh
Dec 23, 2024 08:46 AM IST

A local court disposed of the application filed by PU, seeking permanent injunction for restraining students from holding demonstrations with directions that there should be no breach of peace

While an all party meeting was called by Panjab University Bachao Morcha with representatives of various student and political parties and farmer and labour unions to discuss the next course of action, the Morcha has now issued a statement that they will be working towards making Panjab University (PU) a state university.

Officials said this is not feasible considering how much money the state already owes PU. (HT file photo)
Officials said this is not feasible considering how much money the state already owes PU. (HT file photo)

As per them, a separate committee will be formed at Punjab level as the issue of saving PU’s senate is a Punjab issue. They said they will work on a proposal that PU’s status as an inter-state body corporate should be revoked and a resolution be passed to declare the varsity a state university of Punjab.

Officials said this is not feasible considering how much money the state already owes PU. Punjab government owes PU 21 crore for the dues under Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) scheme before the 2018-2019 session, and owes an additional 15 crore to the varsity as dues after the 2018-2019 session. Even for the annual maintenance grant to run PU, as per the budget passed by PU Board of Finance, for this year, the University Grants Commission (UGC) will give an annual maintenance grant of 366.83 crore and Punjab will give 90.49 crore. Further, money pledged by Punjab even years back, like the allocation of 48.91 crore grant for construction of more hostels on campus announced in 2023 is yet to be received by the varsity.

Even other universities in Punjab are not doing much better than PU, with many instances of fund crunch in Punjabi University, Patiala, highlighted in recent years. Many state universities are also working without a full-time vice-chancellor (V-C) and have V-Cs on an interim basis.

A local court disposed of the application filed by PU, seeking permanent injunction for restraining students from holding demonstrations with directions that there should be no breach of peace.

While disposing of the application, the court held that students are entitled to continue with their demonstration as the same is being carried out to safeguard their interest. “However, while carrying out the said demonstration/protest, there should be no breach of peace at the spot and also should not involve any kind of violence or any other illegal activities which may amount to any offence. Further, while carrying out the said demonstration, they shall not restrain any passage/road which leads to the offices as mentioned above, thereby causing any kind of inconvenience to the visitors, students, teaching and non-teaching staff or others who are ought to visit university they shall not block the any of the main gate of the Panjab University which is only way of egress or ingress of students, visitors, teaching and non-teaching staff and shall in any way not cause any inconvenience to any officials,” the court observed.

Students divided over the statement

Many of the participating student bodies have said they don’t agree with Morcha’s statement. All student parties, except Sath and Punjab Nama, have expressed some issue or the other.

Speaking about this, Students For Society (SFS) president Sandeep said, “Our priority right now is to get the senate election conducted for 91 seats immediately. We don’t want to divert from the issue, as centralisation and privatisation of the university will follow.”

Some students are also likely to join a committee earlier proposed for senate reforms but, he added, senate is the apex body of the university and no committee should be able to exercise power over it. This comes after students had earlier refused this proposal which was suggested by current and former dean students welfare of the varsity.

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