Central status to Panjab University: MHA, Chandigarh Administration dwell on pros and cons

Tribune News Service

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, June 23

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the UT Administration have initiated deliberations over the issue of conversion of Panjab University (PU) into a Central university.

A meeting in this regard was held today with senior officials of the MHA in Delhi, which was attended by senior officials from the UT Administration.

UT Adviser Dharam Pal, who was part of the meeting, said the pros and cons of the awarding the Central university status to the PU were discussed in length. “The discussions are in the initial stages and the final decision on the issue will be taken by the MHA,” said the Adviser.

The meeting was held on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court that had asked the Central Government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education, to consider the issue of conversion of the PU into a Central university.

The High Court had directed the Central Government to take a decision, at least in principle, on the issue before the next date of hearing on August 30.

The direction came on a petition against the state of Punjab and other respondents by Dr Sangita Bhalla, a PU teacher who superannuated at the age of 60 and had sought extension in service till 65 years.

While hearing the petition, Justice Rajbir Sehrawat had asserted that the case had presented “a very strange situation”. The MHA had issued a notification, dated March 29, applying the Central Civil Service Rules to employees of the UT Administration, including teachers in government colleges and institutions of higher education functioning within the UT.

However, the “applicability clause” of the notification showed that it did not cover the teachers working in either aided private colleges or working in the affiliating PU. As a result, lecturers working in government colleges and government institutes of higher education in Chandigarh would be retiring at 65. However, professors/lecturers working in the teaching departments

of the university and the affiliated colleges would be retiring at 60 as per their existing rules.

Therefore, to remove all ambiguities and to clear the confusion prevalent in all spheres relating to the affairs of the university, the Central Government is directed to consider formal conversion of the PU into a Central university…,” Justice Sehrawat had added.

Mixed reaction from stakeholders

The High Court directions have evoked a mixed reaction from various stakeholders. A majority of the teachers are in favour of the Central status for the PU, while non-teaching staff and some student organisation are against it.

The teachers who have been waiting for a pay hike since 2018, as the Punjab Government is yet to implement the recommendations of the UGC Seventh Pay Commission, are in favour of the implementation of the Central Service Rules, which are already applicable to teachers of UT colleges.

However, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has opposed the Centre’s move related to conversion of the PU into a Central university.

In a recent letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Chief Minister had stated that the state government would not tolerate any change in the nature and character of the PU as it had an emotional place in the hearts of people of Punjab on account of historical, cultural and provincial reasons.

He said the PU was shifted from Lahore to Hoshiarpur after Partition and then to Chandigarh. The PU has 175 affiliated colleges in Fazilka, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Moga, Sri Muktsar Sahib and SBS Nagar.

Ministry to take the final call

The discussions are in the initial stages and the final decision on the issue will be taken by the MHA. — Dharam Pal, UT Adviser

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