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PU syndicate polls: Pro-VC group gets 8 seats, opposite camp takes seven
A neck-and-neck contest was seen between the two groups on Saturday, unlike during the previous elections in July when all members were elected unopposed and majority of them were loyalists of V-C Raj Kumar. The opposite camp, led by additional solicitor general of India, Satya Pal Jain, who is a PU senator, includes members of Goyal group and some other small groups from colleges.
The group considered loyal to vice-chancellor (V-C) Raj Kumar managed to retain majority by winning eight seats in the Panjab University (PU) syndicate elections held on Saturday. The opposite camp, meanwhile, bagged seven seats in the 15-member executive body of the university.
A neck-and-neck contest was seen between the two groups on Saturday, unlike during the previous elections in July when all members were elected unopposed and majority of them were loyalists of V-C Raj Kumar. The opposite camp, led by additional solicitor general of India, Satya Pal Jain, who is a PU senator, includes members of Goyal group and some other small groups from colleges.
The alliance was forged recently after Jain and former Chandigarh mayor Davesh Moudgil fell out with the pro-VC group.
The body includes two members each from languages, law and medical science faculties and three each from arts, sciences and combined faculties.
How the faculty voted
While the pro-VC group won all three seats from the faculty of arts, the opposite camp bagged all three seats from the science faculty. From the combined faculty, the pro-VC group managed to get only one seat while the opposite group bagged two seats.
From the faculty of languages, both seats were bagged by candidates from pro-VC camp, and the opposite group won both seats from the medical sciences faculty. Moreover, both seats from the law faculty went to the pro-VC group. From the opposite camp, Jatinder Grover, who was elected from the combined faculty said, “We will ensure that all the shortcomings surfacing in the university are taken up on priority and welfare of the university will be our agenda.”
Devinder Singh from pro-VC group, who won the election from faculty of laws, said, “It was a keenly contested election, barring languages and science faculty, in which the pro-VC group got majority. Nevertheless all members are united and will work for improving the rankings of PU globally.”
What is syndicate?
According to the PU calendar, the executive government of the university will be vested in the syndicate, which has powers to consider and make recommendations to the senate in matters, including the appointment of officers of Class A, affiliation and disaffiliation of colleges and recommendations of the board of finance. The calendar also grants power to the syndicate to pass orders on various university matters, including those related to colleges, academic council and faculties, and sanctions to new expenditure up to a particular limit.
