PU panel maintains status quo on fee hike

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 27

The core committee of Panjab University senators declined the students’ demand to roll back the hike in fee at its meeting today. The committee, however, said concession would be given to students and fee slabs would be reviewed. 

Representatives of the PU campus students’ council, SOI and NSUI were present and gave ‘suggestions’ on revenue generation. “The committee, meanwhile, sought a proposal from them on the same, which, the VC said would be brought up for discussion at the upcoming Senate meeting on May 7,” said a member.

Senator Pawan Kumar Bansal, who is also an alumnus of the university, said criminal cases filed against students for the April 11 incident should be taken back. Former MP Satya Pal Jain, too, batted for the cause. The duo opined that the matter was related to the campus and must be resolved on the campus, without any legal intervention. “They are students, not criminals,” Bansal told the VC, to which the 

Vice-Chancellor said the process for taking back the cases against the students would be initiated. 

The panel comprises Prof Arun Kumar Grover, Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University; Prof RP Bambah, former Vice-Chancellor, PU; former MP Satya Pal Jain; former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, Chandigarh BJP chief Sanjay Tandon; PUTA president Prof Promila Pathak, Deepak Kaushik, Principal Gurdeep Sharma, Prof Navdeep Goyal and Prof Ronki Ram. MP Kirron Kher meanwhile gave the meeting a miss.

What students proposed 

• Annual income slabs be reviewed 
• Increase in number of seats in some courses 
• Special scholarships for students belonging to the weaker sections 
• Alumni of university be made more active and be requested to sponsor students of university
• Advertise on e-rickshaws and barricades available in the university
• Increase rent of various guest houses and shops on campus
• Alumni of university be made more active and be requested to sponsor students of university
• Advertise on e-rickshaws and barricades available in the university
• Increase rent of various guest houses and shops on campus