Reforms panel for changes in PU structure

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

 Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 22

As focus has again shifted to the governance reforms in Panjab University (PU), the minutes of meetings of committee formed for the purpose, under Justice Bharat Bhushan Parsoon (retd), has assumed significance. It has come to an agreement on Syndicate and Senate reforms and elections of the Deans. Vice-Chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover has also raised objections to the present structure of the Syndicate and Senate, which are the governing bodies of the PU, before the High Court and has called for reforms. 

Syndicate reforms

For constituting the Syndicate, the committee has recommended that the Deans of faculties would be part of it as ex-officio members, unlike the present system where 15 members are elected by the Senate.

It has also called for election of only 9 members to the Syndicate. The committee has also proposed to change the faculty of Language, Literature and Performing Arts with one seat, faculty of Social Sciences with two seats, faculty of Science with two seats, faculty of Laws, Business Management and Commerce with two seats, faculty of Medical Sciences with one seat and faculty of Engineering and Technology with one seat. The rest of six members would be the Deans. Presently, there are 11 faculties which have been proposed to be merged into a total of six.

Instead of DPI Punjab, there should be Secretary Higher Education and in the place of DPI Chandigarh, Secretary Education should be part of the Syndicate.

It has been recommended that in case the Dean of any faculty is a male, then at least one of the elected members of that faculty amongst the senators should be a woman.      

Another recommendation is that besides senators, Professors of the university should be assigned to each of the faculties. The governance reforms committee said the Syndicate could decide about the affiliation and disaffiliation of colleges and once approved, it will go to the Senate for information only. At present, the Syndicate is making only recommendations to the Senate.

Senate reforms

Presently, only 15 members are required for completing the quorum in the Senate, but the committee has recommended that it should be one-third of the strength.

The items could be included in the agenda of the Senate if a written communication about it is received from any member two days prior to the meeting.

It has been recommended that matters on which the Syndicate has reached a consensus without a vote should be deemed to be approved by the Senate without discussion, unless a request from any member of the Senate is received by the Registrar in writing at least seven days before the meeting.

Also, any item of the agenda of the Senate which has been approved by the Syndicate can be taken up for discussion in the Senate at the discretion of the Vice-Chancellor.

It has been recommended that the Senate couldn’t consider and take decisions on affiliation and disaffiliation of colleges; appointment of officers of Class A; grant of degrees, diplomas, titles, licences, marks of honour, prizes and rewards for the encouragement of literature; creation of posts of professors, associate professors and assistant professors; scale of fees for entrance into university and continuance thereon and for admission to the examinations of the university as these would fall in the ambit of the Syndicate. 

Assigning of faculties

The committee recommended that senators be assigned no more than two faculties as per the order of their preference. Also, the minimum qualification for the faculty of first preference should be a post graduate degree in a subject falling in that faculty and senators opting for two faculties will have the right to vote only in the faculty of their first preference.

Senators opting for four faculties

 The added members will not have any voting rights. It has been recommended that 50 per cent of the added members will be women.

Election of Deans

The tenure of Deans has been proposed to be two years. For choosing them, applications will be invited from 10 senior-most professors of Panjab University in that faculty. A committee consisting of the Vice-Chancellor, Dean of University Instructions (DUI) and three senior-most professors of the university will select a Dean from among the applicants. The Dean of the faculty will co-opt the Secretary of the faculty whose tenure should be co-terminus with him or her. Both the Dean and Secretary of the faculty will not hold office for more than two terms, either consecutively or otherwise. In the case of exigency, the VC can appoint an officiating Dean for a period of six months or less.

It has been proposed to replace the word chairman with chairperson in the regulations. Wherever ‘he’ is mentioned, it would be replaced with ‘he or she’. 

The way forward

Prof Akshaya Kumar, member of governance reforms committee, said: “The issue of the governance reforms cannot be delayed and denied and it shouldn’t be lost in the din of blame game. The teaching community overwhelmingly thinks that the present structure of Syndicate and Senate have not inspired any confidence towards conducing academic environment.” He added, “The groupism is rampant. Therefore, the document of governance reforms, which is under process, should be either sent to the Chancellor directly or be submitted before the High Court as the matter is pending before the court.” 

“The recommendations need to be discussed in the governing body meetings. The procedure should be followed,” said Prof Navdeep Goyal, senator and Chairperson of the Physics Department.