With Punjab Engineering College (PEC), which is set to hold its convocation on October 24, having yet to constitute its executive council and academic council—the statutory bodies under its new governance framework—the institute has forwarded the proposal for the approval of degrees to Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria, who is also the chancellor of the institution. PEC has been functioning without a regular vice-chancellor and without an executive council even months after adopting its new memorandum of association (MoA), which aligned the institute with the UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2023.
The minutes of the September 16 meeting of the committee of deans and heads of departments, seen by Hindustan Times, state that under the institute’s earlier governance framework, the senate recommended the award of degrees to the board of governors, following whose approval the degrees were conferred at the convocation. However, after the new MoA came into effect on October 9, 2025, the board of governors ceased to exist. The minutes further note that the executive council and the academic council have not yet been constituted.
Considering the urgency of awarding degrees to undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students, and to avoid any delay in their career progression, the committee recommended forwarding the proposal through the Chandigarh technical education secretary to the chancellor for approval.
When contacted, PEC director Rajesh Bhatia confirmed that the file had been sent to the chancellor. “He is the chancellor of the institute. The file has been sent for his approval,” Bhatia said.
{{/usCountry}}When contacted, PEC director Rajesh Bhatia confirmed that the file had been sent to the chancellor. “He is the chancellor of the institute. The file has been sent for his approval,” Bhatia said.
{{/usCountry}}On being asked under which provision of the new MoA this arrangement was being followed, Bhatia said, “As per the deemed university act, the chancellor is the highest authority, above the executive council.”
The Union ministry of education and the Chandigarh administration were contacted to seek clarification on the transitional arrangement being followed until the statutory bodies are constituted. Their responses were awaited at the time of publishing this report.