More than two months have passed since the department of higher education and languages, Punjab, wrote to the vice-chancellor of Punjabi University seeking a report on allegations that “(four) professors working of the university have acquired permanent residency of foreign countries.”
The letter was sent after the department received a complaint on December 5, 2022, from one Er Randhir Singh and members who alleged that at least four professors working at the varsity have PR of Canada for the last many years. The department’s letter sent on December 13, 2022, asked the university to investigate the matter and “submit a report within 10 days.”
A department of higher education and languages official, who did not wish to be named, confirmed that the department is yet to receive the report. “We will remind the university to send it as soon as possible,” he said.
Dr Navjot Kaur, the registrar of the university and head of the school of management studies, said the committee formed to investigate the matter is likely to submit the report soon.
“The investigations got delayed as the committee gave time to the persons, against whom the allegations were made, to submit documents and answer a few questions. The last date to submit the documents was February 10. Another meeting of the committee is scheduled next week,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}“The investigations got delayed as the committee gave time to the persons, against whom the allegations were made, to submit documents and answer a few questions. The last date to submit the documents was February 10. Another meeting of the committee is scheduled next week,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Responding to the allegations, one of the professors named in the complaint, who did not wish to be named, said, “The allegations have been concocted to harass me.”
An official of the university, on the condition of anonymity, added that one of the professors, named in the complaint, is on ex-India leave for the past four months, and the university had already initiated an inquiry against her under the civil services rules even before the complaint was submitted. “Another professor resigned even before the enquiry started,” he said.