VC forms 23-member panel to discuss governance reforms

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 12

Panjab University (PU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover has formed a 23-member committee to discuss the governance reforms report which recommends changes in the composition of the Senate, Syndicate, Board of Finance (BoF). The report calls for giving more representation to women and university teachers as compared to the college teachers.

Prof Navdeep Goyal, Prof Rajesh Gill, Former Chief Justice of J&K High Court MM Kumar, Justice Bharat Bhushan Parsoon (retd), and Prof Keshav Malhotra are part of the 23-member committee.

The reforms committee, under Justice Parsoon, has recommended a strength of 46 fellows for Senate, including the deans of each of the six faculties and the president of students' council, Punjab Education Minister and the Dean of University Instructions (DUI).

Presently, there are 85 ordinary fellows and six ex-officio members including Punjab CM, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Punjab Education Minister, Director, Higher Education of both Punjab and Chandigarh , and Adviser to Chandigarh Administrator.

Abolishing graduate constituency

Instead of graduate constituency, which contributes 15 members, postgraduate (PG) constituency which will send six members to the Senate is recommended. Among the six, two "shall be elected to represent the districts of Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Moga and Balachaur tehsil of Nawanshahr district " in Punjab, and one to represent Chandigarh; and remaining three fellows may be elected from Punjab or Chandigarh.

Instead of the two at present, four fellows will be elected by professors of the PU, provided that one member each from the Arts and Science Departments shall be elected "of whom at least two shall be women."

Instead of the two at present, four fellows will be elected by assistant professors and associate professors of the PU, provided that one member each from the Arts and Science Departments shall be elected, of whom, "at least two shall be women." Instead of eight at present, only four fellows will be elected by the heads of affiliated arts colleges.

Four fellows shall be elected by the principals and staff of technical and professional colleges from among themselves, of whom, two shall be from among the principals while two shall be from the teaching staff. At present, six are chosen, with three from among the principals and three from the staff. Instead of eight at present, four fellows shall be elected by professors, senior lecturers and lecturers of the affiliated arts colleges from among themselves, of whom, at least one shall be elected to represent "Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Moga and Balachaur tehsil of Nawanshahr" in Punjab, one to represent Chandigarh and the "remaining two to represent any of the areas mentioned above."

Only eight fellows shall be nominated by the Chancellor, of whom, at least four shall be women, state the recommendations. The committee has recommended that a fellow cannot be chosen for more than two terms. In the postgraduate constituency, only postgraduates or PhD holders could take part in elections as candidates and voters.

Composition of Syndicate

Instead of the DPI, Colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh, it has been recommended that Secretary, Higher Education of Punjab and Chandigarh, would be members. Two Senators to be elected by the fellows and professors assigned to each of the six faculties.

Reforms recommended 

• The DUI will supervise the work of the Dean of International Students. The power to see discipline and routine work in all university classes and the functioning of teaching departments through chairpersons has been recommended to be done away with. 
• The tenure of the DSW (Men) and DSW (Women) shall not exceed more than three years. 
• It is recommended that the Vice-Chancellor has to appoint hostel wardens in consultation with the DSW. The warden should have at least an experience of five years in teaching. Earlier, a professor couldn't become a warden.
• It is the duty of teachers to recommend modifications in the curriculum. Examining the candidates and evaluation of their answer books is part of teachers' duties. 
• Teachers going to be eligible for promotion in any cadre/scale will apply for the same six months in advance of their eligibility, where after the screening committee will send its recommendations a fortnight before the date of the eligibility.