Pbi varsity profs move HC, seek re-employment

Ravneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 13

Punjabi University professors, who are retiring on June 30, have moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court demanding re-employment. 

However, some professors, who are against re-employment, said the university had done away with re-employment policy so it was invalid. 

The retiring professors have also reportedly met Vice-Chancellor BS Ghuman in this regard. 

Registrar Manjit Singh Nijjar said the university stood on its decision of not providing extension.

In all, eight professors of the university will retire in the end of June. Of them, a number of professors, including Prof Sansar Singh Janjua of political science department, have filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court demanding re-employment. The professors have raised concern over the future of students currently pursuing research under their guidance. They also cited the same as the reason for demanding extension.

Prof Janjua said, “A number of professors in the university have been allowed extension so it should not treat us differently.” 

He added, “The issue of not giving extension to professors had never been part of any Syndicate meeting. It was only discussed at a Syndicate meeting called by the officiating VC and no decision was taken. Later, the decision was taken and implemented dubiously.”

“If the university wants to end the scheme, it should have scrapped the full process and removed all professors who were provided extension,” he said.

As per sources in the university, the re-employment policy has been changed at different levels in the past years. It has allowed allotment of administrative positions to re-employed professors, which were not part of the policy drafted initially. According to them, “The teachers given extension started holding positions and the chance of professors in line for the post was compromised.”

Registrar Nijjar said, “A number of teachers have filed a writ petition in the High Court and the first hearing in the case will be held on June 28. The university had an extension policy of 3 plus 2 years which was scrapped during the tenure of officiating VC Anurag Verma in March 2017. The university stands by its decision.”