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Ludhiana | Row over V-C’s appointment: PAU students, staff hail CM’s response to governor
In the letter to governor on Thursday, Mann reiterated that PAU V-C’s appointment was carried out according to the Haryana and Punjab Agricultural University Act, 1970, by the Ludhiana university’s board
The teaching faculty and students of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) hailed the defiant response of Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann as they continued to rally behind PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal, whose appointment was termed “totally illegal” by Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit.
In the letter to Purohit on Thursday, Mann reiterated that Gosal’s appointment was carried out according to the Haryana and Punjab Agricultural University Act, 1970, by the university’s board. The approval of the governor or the chief minister was not required for the appointment, he wrote.
Social media abuzz with support for V-C
To express their solidarity with the newly appointed V-C, the employees, students and teachers’ union of PAU put up a status on their Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook profiles that read “I support/ love my university/ my vice chancellor”.
Many students were seen sitting together at canteen on PAU campus and tweeting to trend the movement of supporting the V-C. A similar attempt was made on Wednesday but it fizzled out.
In order to give further impetus to the movement, students had decided to gather at flag post in PAU and invited representatives of PAU teachers’ association and officer bearers of non-teaching association to address the gathering. However, the meeting was cancelled after the CM defended V-C’s appointment.
“It was decided to live stream the event to send a message that any move to dismiss the V-C will be strongly opposed. However, students received the desired response by afternoon when the CM defended the V-C’s appointment and responded to the Governor’s letter,” a PAU student said.
Babanpreet Singh, a representative of PAU Students’ Association (PAUSA), said the meeting was postponed till Friday to discuss the further course of action. “We welcome the CM’s response and expect that the issue be resolved amicably and the V-C completes his full term,” he added.
Punjab Agricultural University Teachers’ Association (PAUTA) also lauded the CM’s response. They said Gosal is a renowned biotechnologist. who has brought laurels not only to the state but to the country as well at national and international level.
However, former V-C Kirpal Singh Aulakh has questioned the intent of the CM for not putting dispatch number and date on the letter being addressed to the Governor.
“Friends may say that I am criticising the government. But see both the letters. The official or demi-official letters always have a dispatch number and date. The CM letter does have none. How could his office be so ignorant?” Aulakh said.
The issue
The governor, who is the chancellor of the PAU, had said the government had appointed Gosal without following the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and approval of the chancellor. He had said this act of the government of Punjab could not be accepted by any logic.
