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Despite PU order to put Jyotish course on hold, classes continue
VIOLATION OF RULES: Varsity authorities had asked Sanskrit department not to start classes and take nod from syndicate
Even after Panjab University, in the first week of August, instructed the department of Sanskrit to put the astrology courses on hold as it lacks the requisite permission from the syndicate, the classes are still on in the department after a month.
The department was instructed to not hold classes by the dean of university instruction (DUI) Shankarji Jha and a professor of the same department.
Hindustan Times had first reported the matter on August 1. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on May 24 between PU, through department of Sanskrit, and the Institute of Vedic and Astrological Sciences, 1110, Sunny Enclave, Sector 123, SAS Nagar, Mohali, through its authorised signatory Sudhir Batish (honorary director).
The first agenda on the matter had come to the syndicate before signing of the MoU on April 10. The final MoU, the course content, syllabus and fee structure have not reached the syndicate till now. Only one course had been approved by the academic council, for which the admissions have already been done.
A visit to the department on Saturday revealed that the classes are still going on. The classes are held on the weekend, on Saturday (3pm onwards) and Sunday (10am onwards).
An official said that it is probably due to miscommunication that classes were still being held.
The DUI said that he had instructed the department to withhold the course for now and take the required permission from the syndicate. “I do not know what they have done. I will check and ask the department about the same,” he said.
FACTS ON THE MATTER
The agenda presented in the syndicate meet of April 10 mentioned the institute’s address as ‘The Institute of Vedic and Astrological Sciences, 1109, Sector 123, SAS Nagar, Mohali’ while in the MoU that was executed on May 24, the address mentioned is ‘The Institute of Vedic and Astrological Sciences, 1110, Sunny Enclave, Sector 123, SAS Nagar, Mohali.’ A visit to the address revealed that the address mentioned is that of a house and not of an institute.
