PU is now a vehicle-free campus

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 25

The Syndicate today approved the proposal for a vehicle-free campus along with a complete ban on four-wheelers for fresher. It has also approved a hike in the rent of auditoriums, halls, grounds and lawns on the campus.

Under the vehicle-free campus proposal, no cars without stickers will be allowed. If any such vehicle is found, it will be liable to be challaned or towed away. Five boom barriers and four check gates will be made on the campus to ensure implementation and traffic marshalls will be made from among teaching and non-teaching staff.

As for students seeking admission this year, they will not be allowed to bring their cars to the departments or hostels. The chairpersons of departments and wardens of hostels will have to keep a check on it. The Syndicate unanimously approved the complete proposal without any changes.

From now on, booking university auditoriums, lawns and grounds will be more expensive. The rent of the university auditorium will now be Rs 8,000 per day for academic and official functions of departments while it will be Rs 35,000 per day for outside agencies. This rent is exclusive of service tax.

The rent for engineering, mathematics, physics, zoology, USOL, chemistry and UBS department will be Rs 1,500 per day plus Rs 500 as cleaning charges. For outside agencies, it will be Rs 10,000 per day plus Rs 1,000 as cleaning charges. The rent for English and evening studies auditorium will be Rs 5,000 per day plus Rs 1,000 as cleaning charges while for the outside agencies it will be Rs 20,000 plus Rs 1,000 as cleaning charges.

The lawn in front of student centre and law auditorium will be available for Rs 2,000 per day plus Rs 2,000 for cleaning and additional Rs 5,000for security will be refundable for the PU departments. For outside agencies, the rent will be Rs 75,000 per day plus Rs 2,000 for cleaning and refundable security charges of Rs 10,000.

The lawn in front of the UBS department will be available at a rent of Rs 2,000 per day and Rs 1,000 as cleaning charges for PU departments. The refundable security will be Rs 5,000. For outsiders, the rent will be Rs 35,000 and Rs 1,000 for cleaning along with Rs 10,000 refundable security charges.

The rent for grounds of departments like chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, geology and zoology will be charged at Rs 1,500 per day along with Rs 500 as cleaning charges. For outsiders, the rent will be Rs 10,000 plus Rs 1,000 cleaning charges.

Syndicate rules in favour of teacher living on top floor

As the Vice-Chancellor brought three keys to resolve the fight between two teachers over roof usage of the residential quarters, the Syndicate did not agree to the same. The Syndicate settled for two keys, one to be kept with the professor living on the top floor while the other will remain with the maintenance department. The PU authorities wanted to give a third key to the other professor living on the first floor as well but it was not agreed upon by the Syndics. They said that it was against university rules and the professor living on the first floor had a balcony for himself while the one on the top floor had only the roof. Hence, the residents of the first floor could not be given open access to the roof.

VC remains adamant on debarring PhD scholar

The Syndics asked the Vice-Chancellor not to snatch the Right to Education of a PhD scholar whose sexual harassment complaint was found to be false. However, sources informed that the VC remained adamant that the complainant would have to apologise and withdraw her case for him to reconsider. While it was not a part of the agenda in Sunday’s meeting, the Syndics asked the VC to let law take its own course and allow the complainant to continue her PhD. However, the VC said that he had followed the case closely and the complainant was at fault and not even ready to apologise. Hence, no headway was made and the PhD registration of the complainant remains cancelled. The case involved a sexual harassment complaint by a research scholar against the son of DSW (Women). The complaint was found to be false by the PUCASH committee. However, the complainant said the committee had no jurisdiction over the case as the accused was neither a student nor an employee of the PU. This point was also raised by Syndics but sources informed that the VC remained adamant over not reversing the decision.

Choice-based credit system deferred 

The Syndicate has deferred the implementation of choice-based credit system (CBCS) in the affiliated colleges by a year. The system is already running in PU but was to be implemented in colleges this year. It was earlier approved by the academic council after some resistance from colleges about lack of preparation. Sources informed that the Syndics were of the view that the implementation should have been done earlier. With admissions round the corner, lack of knowledge and no prior information to candidates would make it unsuccessful. However, the members approved it for implementation in 2018-19. The Senate will now take a final call on the system in its next meet.

Syndicate to look into mistakes in exams 

A committee, comprising Syndicate members, will now look into the mistakes in the conduct of various exams this session. Earlier, a two-member committee, comprising a former Registrar and a former Vice-Chancellor, had submitted their report blaming the printer and publisher. However, some Syndicate members said a thorough investigation into the matter was required. The Vice-Chancellor thus agreed to form a committee to look into the matter.

No respite for Komal Singh

After being found guilty in yet another sexual harassment case, assistant professor Komal Singh of the public administration department has been told to vacate his premises on the university campus. He has already been dismissed from service and his fate is now in the hands of the Senate.