E-Paper
Panjab University senate’s term set to end by Oct-end, but no news of polls
While Panjab University, Chandigarh, prepares the schedule for the senate elections, it goes to the chancellor’s office to get final approval
With just a month left for Panjab University’s elected senate’s term to end, there is no update yet on the schedule for the senate elections. As of now, it is likely that the varsity will be without its elected senators after their term gets over on October 31.
The senate is the apex governing body of the university and has the entire management of, and superintendence over the affairs, concerns and property of the university. It comprises 91 members. Of these, 47 are elected from eight constituencies and the rest are nominated or ex-officio members.
While Panjab University prepares the schedule for the senate elections, it goes to the chancellor’s office to get final approval. However, vice-chancellor Renu Vig confirmed that the university has not received the approval yet from the chancellor’s office.
Before holding the senate elections, 240 days’ notice must be given for some of the bigger constituencies like the registered graduates’ constituencies, but for the other constituencies 90 days’ notice must be given. Due to this, senators were waiting for the schedule to be released three months before the end of October, however, this also hasn’t been done yet.
Some senators have now also approached the Punjab and Haryana high court regarding the matter. One of the petitioners, Jagwant Singh said that they have filed a petition to get the term of the body extended by another year claiming that the term of the senate had been shortened from four years to three years in 2021 and this is in contravention to the Panjab University Act. Singh said that the court has asked PU to submit their reply on October 14.
Jagwant who had earlier held a press conference about the delay said, “It now seems that an offline senate session was not held in December 2023 on purpose as the chancellor had approved the election schedule in November and it would have come up as an agenda in the senate meeting. It seems to be done at the behest of forces which don’t value the democratic setup of the varsity, rest the matter is pending in court.”
As per officials the varsity had sent the election schedule to the chancellor’s office four times, but it had expired each time and the court case regarding the syndicate elections had further complicated the matter.
PU authorities maintain that the PU senate will continue working after October 31 and can still make decisions. While the PU Board of Finance meeting is scheduled on October 8, the senate meeting is likely to follow this before October 31.
Meanwhile, the varsity continues to remain without an elected syndicate as well owing to a pending court case. In December 2023, the high court had put a stay on syndicate elections following a plea by three professors in June 2022. The matter reached court after the varsity chancellor disapproved the election of six candidates from the constituency of faculties. This stay continues as per the officials. Dean elections which were to be held in February have also not been held despite no stay on them. As per varsity officials, the elections will be held along with the next syndicate elections. Till that time, the PU senate had given the syndicate’s powers to the vice-chancellor and the elected deans’ powers to the Dean of University Instruction.
