Prof Pam Rajput breaks down in Syndicate meet

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 10

Prof Pam Rajput, fellow, broke down today during discussions in the Syndicate meeting over allegations of misappropriation of books of the Centre for Women Studies against her.

Prof Rajesh Gill, fellow and president of Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA), had levelled allegations against her and wrote a letter to Chancellor M Venkaiah Naidu on October 23. After that the matter was brought before the Syndicate today.

According to documents attached in the agenda item, the books, periodicals, journals, which were pending against Prof Pam Rajput, are worth of just over Rs 5,000.

The Syndicate, which is the governing body of the PU, dismissed Prof Gill’s allegations today.

Prof Rajput said she did not take any money from the university other than for teaching. It also came out that she had donated Rs 1 lakh for buying books and had been funding two scholarships, one in political science and the other in women studies.

Senator Rabindernath Sharma said the issue should not have been brought in the agenda and the PU authorities should have resolved it at their level.

It was also mentioned that the PUTA president had been in habit of making false allegations against those who oppose her agendas in the Syndicate and the Senate.

Prof Gill had said as per the information obtained through the RTI Act, 2005, there were a large number of books, periodicals, journals, magazines, numbering around 54, pending in Prof Rajput’s name since 1988, when she was the Director, Centre for Women’s Studies.

She had also complained that Prof Rajput had been nominated as a member of a committee, in a special Syndicate meeting dated October 7, formed by Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover, to examine the issue arising out of a complaint made by her on the basis of a CIC order dated September 4. She had complained that the letter dated January 20, 2016, from the VP office regarding a sexual harassment case was fraudulently obtained.

This letter dated January 20, 2016, had settled that the Senate, which is a governing body of the PU, was supreme and employer too in regard of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, and could form any committee to inquire into allegations against the VC.

On today’s Syndicate decision, Prof Gill said: “Her pension was delayed as books were missing. Proper procedure for writing off the books was not followed. Without getting ‘no dues’ from her, she has been given pension.”

Resolution for webcasting of Syndicate, Senate meetings not approved

A PUTA resolution for webcasting of meetings of the Syndicate, Senate and Board of Finance was not approved in today’s Syndicate meeting. PUTA president Prof Rajesh Gill said: “When proceedings of the Lok Sabha can be telecast why can’t the PU webcast the proceedings. There should be transparency.”