VC completes one year, action in probe cases still pending

Patiala, August 14

Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor (VC) BS Ghuman has completed his one year as VC in the university. He said he had made efforts to make the university academically robust by improving the quality of teaching, research and consultancy. However, the VC has also not acted upon the probe reports regarding misappropriation of funds which have been prepared and submitted by the committee he formed.

Vice-Chancellor BS Ghuman on Tuesday said, “The university has won the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy to emerge as the Best Sports University in the country. The state government has also sanctioned Rs 50 crore as one-time grant for easing out the university’s financial distress, and the university had also received a grant of Rs 50 crore under RUSA-2 for the first time.” He further said the state government has also sanctioned seven crore rupees each for establishing Maharana Pratap Chair and Sri Guru Gobind Singh Advanced Studies Centre and three crore rupess for the Aggrasein Chair.”

When questioned about the probe reports concerning misappropriation of funds in the university during the tenure of former VC Dr Jaspal Singh, he said, “The reports have been compiled by the two-member committee comprising retired IAS and IPS officials. These will be taken to the syndicate which is the supreme body of the university. I only have the executive powers.” Action in accordance with the reports of the probe related to hiring of ineligible teachers in the university, hiring of teachers with fake SC/BC certificates, misappropriation in paper purchase, answer sheet purchase, purchase of software for examination department and a few others have been awaited in the University since long. — TNS