Panjab University senate polls: HC reserves order on plea of ex-senators

The plea alleges that the political party at the Centre and people affiliated with it are deliberately delaying the polls

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday reserved its order on a plea of seven former Panjab University senators, who had moved HC in December, seeking directions to the varsity to hold senate elections. The matter has been heard by the bench of justice Fateh Deep Singh.

Panjab University has told court that it has initiated process to hold the elections. (HT file)

The plea alleges that the political party at the Centre and people affiliated with it, were deliberately delaying the polls. On the other hand, PU has told court that it has initiated process to hold senate elections.

The varsity has also told HC that Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is the varsity’s chancellor, has constituted a high level committee of experts to examine the varsity’s present governing structure. PU is governed by a 91-member senate, the elections of which are pending since August last year.

The senate polls were postponed twice last year by vice-chancellor Raj Kumar amid the Covid pandemic. The term of the PU senate ended on October 31 and the varsity is currently functioning without a governing body.