8-member high empowered committee constituted

CHANDIGARH: An eight-member high empowered committee was constituted today by the Panjab University (PU) Syndicate to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment levelled by a faculty member against university Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 21

An eight-member high empowered committee was constituted today by the Panjab University (PU) Syndicate to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment levelled by a faculty member against university Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover. Recently, the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has sent a communication to the PU that a fresh inquiry committee should be constituted which should be headed by a high stature person who is not from the campus.

A special Senate meeting will be convened only for this issue on January 29 for giving final nod to this committee. The Syndicate meeting was chaired by a member Jarnail Singh. During the discussion on this issue, the Vice-Chancellor left the House.

The Syndicate proposed that the committee should be chaired by Haryana retired chief secretary Meenakshi Anand Chaudhary, while other members will be Pam Rajput, Devi Sirohi, Anita Kaushal, Justice Harbans Lal, Guljot Singh Bali, Justice Jasbir Singh and a nominee of the UT administration. After preparing a fresh report on this case, the committee should submit it within a stipulated time period to the HRD Ministry.

Recently, a national commission for women held a hearing of this case on the basis of the complaint filed by the faculty member of the university. During the meeting, the commission sought the details of what action the existing inquiry committee of the university had taken in this case. After the hearing, the commission had directed the HRD Ministry to resolve the issue at the earliest.

The complaint

On April 15, 2015, the faculty visited the VC office at 3:30 pm to congratulate him for his extension. After waiting for 20 minutes, Professor Grover came out of his office and the faculty member wished him all the best. Reacting to which, he winked and started shouting that “The best will only happen if you stop fanning the problems in the Syndicate and Senate,” and then, he started condemning the members of the Syndicate and Senate as useless and creating hurdles.