Punjabi University draws flak over taking decisions without Syndicate approval

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 15

Punjabi University (PU) is now drawing criticism from all quarters for taking most decisions on its own on the pretext of taking up the matter in Syndicate meetings at a later stage. 

The university has held only one Syndicate meeting in the whole financial year, but continued to take decisions and implement these for months before Syndicate meetings.

The university calendar does not permit officials to take and implement important administrative decisions without the Syndicate’s approval. Only the Vice-Chancellor (VC) has can take administrative decisions under an emergency situation. 

The university created a post of Dean (External Centres) without approval of Syndicate and facilitated Dr Pushpinder Singh Gill, a senior professor on the campus with the charge recently. 

Besides, the university has transferred officials and professors, made appointments and promoted employees in anticipation of the Syndicate meeting. 

As per rules, the Syndicate is an appointing authority for the Controller of Examinations, Finance Officer, Deputy Registrar, Assistant Registrars and other administrative officers and also defines their duties.

A  Syndicate member requesting anonymity said, “Creating posts without approval of the Syndicate and taking all decisions in anticipation of the Syndicate is wrong. The Syndicate’s permission  to the VC to take administrative decisions in anticipation can be used in emergent cases only.”

In his defence, Dr Pushpinder Gill, professor at the School of Management Studies, who has earlier raised questions over the practice of taking decisions in anticipation of the Syndicate said, “They (university officials) showed such an emergency that there are serious problems in these centres. They persuaded me that we should not wait for the Syndicate to put the things in the right direction.”

University officials, including VC BS Ghuman, remained incommunicado the whole day.