No caste discrimination in university: Syndicate

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, August 20

After an assistant professor, Dr Sarvninder Kaur, approached the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) against Panjab University (PU) for denying her chairpersonship, the Syndicate expressed that there was no caste discrimination on the campus. 

It was also expressed that it was not appropriate for her to have gone to the NCSC. Now, a committee has been formed under prof Navdeep Goyal to suggest changes in existing rules for the rotation of chairpersons to avoid any ambiguity as the issue has to be seen with seniority. After Kaur approached the NCSC, the university was issued a notice on August 2 and asked for a reply. 

Kaur has been working as assistant professor since March 5, 2007 and completed 10 years of regular service. As per her complaint, she became eligible to be designated as a chairperson on March 6, 2015 but was bypassed. She claimed before the NCSC that she had been pursuing her case with authorities since February 12, 2015 and last request was sent on January 1, 2017.  

“I am raising objections against the university authorities and their behaviour of neglect towards the SC/ST staff and favouritism towards professors of general category,” she said in her petition and maintained that as per the PU calendar, first professors, then associate professors and then assistant professors were to be designated as chairpersons as per their seniority.  “I became eligible for the post on March 6, 2015. Prof ML Garg was appointed as the chairperson on January 23, 2015. He has been designated for second full term which is against the rules,” she said before the NCSC. 

She added, “On January 23, 2015, I was short by 42 days to fulfill the eligibility of eight years and the authorities should have made temporary arrangements for 42 days.”