E-Paper
PUTA election: Stage set for two-cornered contest
Supinder Kaur of the department of laws, who is the current body’s vice-president, and Naresh Kumar from the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) are in fray for the post of president
The November 17 election for the Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) is set to witness a two-cornered contest with the candidates of the two groups intensifying their campaigns against each other.
The Naresh-Neeraj team will be contesting against the Supinder-Naura team, who are in the present PUTA. The stage is set for both the groups as the list of candidates has already been finalised for the teachers’ body election.
Supinder Kaur of the department of laws, who is the current body’s vice-president, and Naresh Kumar from the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) are in fray for the post of president.
The campaigning for the election has been going on and gaining momentum every day. The candidates who are in fray for different posts of PUTA have been visiting departments to meet teachers. Door-to-door campaigning has also started in the campus.
While Supinder-Naura team is backed by the Goyal group, the Naresh-Neeraj team is considered pro-establishment on the campus.
Supinder Kaur, said, “I have been in PUTA for the last five years and our team has served the teacher community with utmost sincerity. We have been able to clinch several issues including the revised UGC seventh pay scales. We have always been at the forefront for teachers’ cause and will continue to take up their issues aggressively with a major focus on ‘old pension scheme for all’ and promotions under Career Advancement Scheme (CAS). ”
Naresh Kumar, who is contesting for the post of president for the first time, said that he decided to contest the election after their team wanted him to lead.
“There are a number of issues which have been pending for a long time and need immediate resolution like the CAS promotions of teachers, enhancement of retirement age to 65 years and financial improvement of the University. Our team is contesting the election keeping in mind that we will work for the betterment of the teaching fraternity of PU,” he said.
The team from where Supinder Kaur is fielded has won the election of PU teachers’ body for the last five years in a row. Former PUTA president Rajesh Gill won the election in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and current president Mritunjay Kumar registered wins in the last two years.
Former senate and syndicate member Navdeep Goyal, whose group is supporting the team led by Supinder Kaur and Amarjit Singh Naura, said, “There must be a PUTA that can speak for the teachers and ensure that they are not selectively victimised.”
