Senate, syndicate restructuring: PU revamp lawful, overdue & aligned with NEP, say experts

The move has triggered a political row, with chief minister Bhagwant Mann terming it ‘unconstitutional’ and vowing to challenge it in court, calling it an assault on Punjab’s rights and the university’s autonomy

The central government’s decision to restructure Panjab University’s (PU) governing bodies, the senate and the syndicate, through a notification issued on October 28, is legally valid, long overdue, and essential for improving the university’s governance structure in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, officials aware of the matter said on Monday.

Governance reforms at PU  began under former VC Arun Kumar Grover after a NAAC peer team visit in 2015. (HT file)

The notification dissolved the existing elected senate and syndicate of PU, replacing them with smaller, largely nominated bodies, ending the decades-old system where registered graduates elected representatives to the senate, the apex governing body responsible for policymaking and oversight. Syndicate serves as its executive arm, managing administrative and financial affairs.

The move has triggered a political row, with chief minister Bhagwant Mann terming it ‘unconstitutional’ and vowing to challenge it in court, calling it an assault on Punjab’s rights and the university’s autonomy. Student groups inside PU have also intensified their protests against the new changes. On Sunday, two members of Parliament — Manish Tewari (Chandigarh) and Malvinder Singh Kang (Anandpur Sahib) — visited the protesting students, becoming the first elected representatives to extend their support to the students. On Monday, Independent MP from Faridkot Sarabjit Singh Khalsa and Congress’ Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda met the protesting students and extended support.

However, senior PU officials cited Section 72 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, stating that the Centre was well within its powers to amend the university’s governing structure. “The central government, under Section 72, has authority to issue directions and make modifications to the Panjab University Act, 1947, until other provisions are made by law. The central government has issued these modifications, and there is no illegality in this,” a university official said, requesting anonymity, adding that the law department of the Union government had been consulted before issuing the notification.

Panjab University, originally established in Lahore in 1882 and reconstituted in Chandigarh under the Punjab University Act, 1947, became an inter-state body corporate after the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, which created Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Under Section 72 of the Act, the central government assumed administrative authority over the university, replacing the “Government of Punjab” in the 1947 Act. This section empowers the Centre to issue directions and make modifications to the laws governing the university.

Governance reforms at Panjab University began under former vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Grover after a NAAC peer team visit in 2015. A committee led by justice (retd) Bharat Bhushan Parsoon submitted its recommendations in 2018, suggesting structural changes. Following the implementation of NEP 2020, the UGC directed PU to initiate governance reforms. In February 2021, then chancellor and vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu formed an 11-member panel chaired by RP Tiwari, VC of Central University of Punjab, which proposed reducing the senate’s strength from 93 to 47 and shifting from elected to appointed members.

“The Centre’s decision to restructure the PU Senate is a welcome move,” said VS Chauhan, former NAAC chairman and member of the 11-member reform panel. “We had recommended replacing elections for 15 registered graduates with nominations of eminent alumni by the chancellor and giving preference to university and college academicians — both of which the government has accepted,” he added.

PU officials said the restructuring aligns with NEP 2020’s emphasis on efficient and merit-based governance. “The earlier senate had 90 members and was highly politicised. Its election process, involving over three lakh registered graduates, was time-consuming, expensive, and often diverted attention from academic priorities,” an official said.

The new senate will now have 31 members (24 nominated and 7 ex-officio) instead of 90 (85 elected and 5 ex officio), while the syndicate will continue to consist of 15 members, ensuring a ‘leaner structure’ aimed at quicker decision-making. The representation of Punjab remains unchanged, officials clarified — with the Punjab CM, chief justice of Punjab and Haryana high court, and Punjab education minister continuing as ex-officio members. The 15 registered graduates previously elected to the senate will now be replaced by two alumni nominated by the chancellor.

Financially, the Centre provides the bulk of PU’s support — around 85 to 87% of total funding, PU officials said. In FY 2024–25, the Centre released ₹593.62 crore, while the Punjab government contributed ₹90.49 crore (13.22%). UGC funding rose from ₹278 crore in 2022–23 to ₹346 crore in 2023–24, and a one-time grant of ₹175 crore was sanctioned for pay arrears.

Move to be challenged: Sandhwan

Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan termed the move “unfortunate and a direct attack” on the federal structure of the nation. He said the state government would challenge it in court. “Punjab University can’t be left at the mercy of the Centre. The senate system represents a democratic framework to manage the university’s day-to-day functioning. Any attempt by the Centre to curtail its strength amounts to interference in the democratic rights of the people of Punjab,” he said.

State govt spreading misinformation: BJP

The Punjab BJP said that it is fully committed to safeguarding Punjab’s rightful stake in the university. It accused the state government of spreading misinformation on the issue. In an official statement, the party said the recent notification is being assessed in detail. The key focus of this assessment is to ensure that any reforms do not dilute Punjab’s academic, administrative or cultural share in the university, the party said. “Consultations will be held with all stakeholders, including professors, students and educationists, to ensure that Punjab’s interests remain protected,” the statement added.