Enhanced grants come with riders, PU in a fix

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21

It was a great day for Panjab University as both the HRD Ministry and Punjab enhanced their respective grant. However, as one delves deep into the terms and conditions of the grants and looks at the plans of the PU now, the future does not seem very bright. The only ray of hope according to authorities is, since the dialogue has begun, things may start looking upwards.

The HRD Ministry gave a grant of Rs 207.80 crore for 2017-18. However, the grant comes with some conditions. Firstly, the ministry has refused to pay the university for the previous deficit which is around Rs 36 crore. As per the budget, the deficit before this grant was Rs 244.29 crore. Secondly, the letter clearly states that the ministry will provide an annual increment of just six per cent to the varsity. However, for any institution, the annual inflation is at least 10 per cent. Also, it has clearly been stated that it will pay the varisty for only that number of non-teaching staff members which will satisfy the 1:1.1 ratio of teaching and non-teaching members.

The letter states that while the PU has 4,126 non-teaching staff members, according to norms they need to have only 1,516. Thus, the varisty will have to generate funds for the rest 2,610 employees. This jeopardises the future of a large number of employees and if the university wants to keep them, generating funds for their salaries will be an uphill task.

Speaking on this particular issue, VC Arun K Grover said, "The governing body will have to pay the current employees; atleast the ones who have been allowed to work up till 65 years of age." According to the ministry's letter, this expense has to be borne by the PU or from the grants by Punjab.

Another catch in the letter is, "the ministry however, reserves the right to reduce the level of central assistance upon periodic review of (i) the financial position of PU and (ii) Punjab government's contribution being augmented by state government". Hence, there is no surety about an enhanced grant in the future.

Punjab’s heroic move just a clever ploy?

Congress in its first budget has emerged as a hero for the PU but the move is actually a clever ploy. While it is often heard that Punjab gives this university Rs 20-crore grant, the budget announcement said that the grant for PU has been increased from Rs 26 crore to Rs 33 crore.

The catch: Punjab gives the university Rs 20 crore and separately  Rs 6 crore for running the four constituent colleges in Punjab. The four were handed over to the PU in 2010. Punjab provides Rs 1.5 crore per college to the university. However, no separate announcement was made for these colleges although the budget included grants for many Punjab colleges.

The clever play: Punjab has been trying to give Panjab University two more colleges to run and the varsity has been asking to sign a memorandum of understanding. The MoU would act as a proof for 

the PU that Punjab would additionally pay Rs 3 crore for two colleges. However, Punjab may now tell the university that the same has been included in this hike. The hike in grant would, thus, effectively become a mere Rs 4 crore.

Excited PU wants to employ hundreds more

In all the excitement and anticipation of more regular grants, Panjab University is planning to fill around a 100 posts in its colleges. These posts have already been advertised and the VC said that he would now take it further. Filling up of these posts alone may burden the university again and drive it towards a similar fiscal crisis. The VC also informed that PU may soon fill up the posts of the Chief of Security, Fire Officer, Deputy Registrar and Medical Officers. It would also advertise to regularise posts of temporary teachers, he added. Also, associate professors and professors in reserve category and on annual rolls would be regularised. Both these 

moves, in view of the Seventh Pay Commission and the increase in TA-DA and other hikes, will only add to PU’s financial burden.