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Punjab to challenge Centre’s Panjab University notification in high court: Chief minister Mann
BJP-led Centre had, through an October 28 notification, trimmed the size of Panjab University’s apex governing body, the senate, from 97 to 31
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday announced that his government would approach the Punjab and Haryana high court against the notification issued by the central government for restructuring the governing bodies of Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Mann said that the issue would also be raised in the state assembly in the coming days so that Punjab’s stance can be strengthened constitutionally. “The Punjab government will approach the high court against the issuance of a notification unconstitutionally dissolving the Senate and Syndicate of Panjab University, Chandigarh. A panel of the country’s eminent and specialist lawyers will be formed to tenaciously fight against this act of high-handedness,” he posted on X.
The CM had on Sunday hit out at the BJP-led central government for restructuring the governing bodies of Panjab University, Chandigarh, through a notification, dubbing the move “dictatorial”. He said that the Centre did not have the power to amend the Panjab University Act, 1947, through a notification. “Any amendment in the Act must be done either by the state assembly or Parliament,” he said, calling the central government’s move a “Nadar Shahi farman (arbitrary decree)”.
The central government had, through an October 28 notification, effected a major overhaul in the functioning of the 142-year-old Panjab University, trimming the size of its apex governing body, the senate, to 31, and doing away with elections for its executive body, the syndicate. Until now, the senate had 97 members, while the syndicate members were elected from among the senators.
