Campus stormed, Panjab University on the boil

Panjab University today witnessed one of the largest and most unprecedented student mobilisations in recent memory. The agitation only intensified, with thousands of students — supported by politicians, farmers, Nihangs and leaders from social, religious and civil society groups — staging continuous protests across the campus against the Centre’s move on restructuring of the Senate and Syndicate.

PU remained under an extraordinary security blanket, with sealed gates, barricaded borders and traffic diversions that caused major inconvenience across neighbouring sectors.

OUTRAGE, SUPPORT FLOOD SOCIAL MEDIA

@pustudentscollective: “Campus feels like a fortress. Barricades everywhere. But the protest will continue.”

@alumni_voice: “PU belongs to the region, not one state. Stop politicising the university’s identity.”

@citywatchdog: “Traffic snarls across Sectors 14, 15, Madhya Marg. Barricades choking movement since morning.”

HOW CRISIS BUILT UP

Dec 2024: Manish Tewari flags Senate election delay in Lok Sabha.

Jan 2024: Election process expected to begin; no movement.

Mid-2025: Rumblings of restructuring; anxiety rises.

October 30: Centre notifies sweeping restructuring of PU; Senate trimmed from 91 to 31, Syndicate made a nominated, election-free body.

November 1: The Tribune breaks the overhaul story, triggering political firestorm.

Nov 1-7: Fierce backlash; Centre issues four notifications within a week amid protests.

November 5-7: Centre rescinds the controversial restructuring order.

November 10: Mega “PU Bandh” protest erupts; borders sealed, clashes break out.

November 10 evening: Students declare indefinite dharna until the original Senate structure is reinstated through a formal election notification.

WHY THE ISSUE ESCALATED

Centre’s restructuring seen as altering PU’s federal balance.

Two-year delay in Senate elections created mistrust.

Perceived lack of consultation fuelled student anger.

Punjab-Haryana political claims intensified sentiment.

Heavy police deployment turned dispute into a rights issue.

WAY FORWARD

Students seek rollback and immediate Senate election schedule.

Haryana group demands formal recognition of shared stake.

VC urges calm and constructive engagement.

Political leaders want Chancellor’s intervention.

Only a clear, time-bound consultative roadmap may defuse the standoff.

The Tribune broke the story about the intended overhaul of the university, triggering cascading political reactions and campus unrest.

By early morning, the university had turned into a near-fortified zone. Police lines stretched from Gate 1 to Gate 3, multiple internal routes were shut, and mounted police, anti-riot units and women constables formed concentric rings at entry points. Officials confirmed that over 2,700 personnel — one of the highest ever deployed at PU — were stationed across the campus. Water cannons remained on standby.

Students alleged that the police pushed back groups near the Arts Block and restricted movement in the Academic Area. Several protesters were taken away by the police but let-off later to join the protest. “It felt like a lockdown. Every road had barricades,” said a student.

Police officials defended the clampdown as necessary to maintain law and order, and prevent the “outsiders” from turning the protest unruly. But their argument collapsed by midday.

Related news: Chandigarh Police struggle to contain violent protest near PU gates

Senior BJP leader and former MP Satya Pal Jain, after meeting Vice-President and PU Chancellor C.P. Radhakrishnan, said he had conveyed student anxieties and stressed that any structural changes must protect PU’s federal, regional character.

Congress MP Manish Tewari condemned the “unnecessary and unprovoked” use of force, saying the students’ demands were “legitimate” and that the university should have started the Senate election process “in January 2024 — not November 2025.”

PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Renu Vig appealed for restraint, asserting that while PU “deeply respects every student’s right to express democratic opinion,” academic continuity and campus stability are “equally essential for the university’s intellectual and research environment.”

Adding a new dimension, Haryana-domicile students and alumni issued a formal statement rejecting claims that PU “belongs solely to Punjab.” They asserted Haryana’s “historical, academic and moral stake” in the university, citing pre-1966 affiliation records and Chandigarh’s status as a joint capital. They demanded that future reforms formally recognise Haryana’s rightful share.

With students planning night vigils, class boycotts and a coordinated march, the impasse appears set to deepen unless the Centre or PU Administration steps in with a time-bound roadmap.

WHAT THEY SAID

“The use of force at PU was unnecessary and unacceptable. The students’ demand is legitimate.” — Manish Tewari, MP

“Campus must remain peaceful, stable and academically vibrant. Dialogue is essential.” — Prof Renu Vig, Vice-Chancellor

“Any changes must protect PU’s historic federal character.” — Satya Pal Jain, Senior BJP Leader

“Haryana has an equal historical, academic and moral stake in PU.” — Haryana Domicile Students & Alumni Group

(With inputs by Deepankar Sharda & Sheetal)