Panjab University Governance reforms: Pandemic delays reports by high-level panel

Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 1

The submission of a report by an 11-member high-level committee, formed by the Vice-President of India and Panjab University Chancellor, to suggest governance reforms in the university has been delayed due to Covid.

After the Punjab Government submitted its recommendations on May 15, the committee was expected to submit the final report in the coming days. However, the pandemic has delayed the process. Though committee members maintained that regular updates have been submitted to the office of the Chancellor, the final report will be submitted soon.

“Earlier, the Punjab Government, one of the stakeholders in the committee, had asked for more time for filing their suggestions. The committee was asked to submit its report within two months after its formation on February 8. However, the delay occurred due to the ongoing pandemic. Nevertheless, the report will be submitted as soon as all formalities are completed,” said a committee member.

The committee was asked to seek views of different stakeholders, study the recommendations made by different committees in the past and examine the best practices adopted within the state.

The committee included Prof RP Tiwari, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda; Prof Nagarajan Ramamoorthy, Director, IIM-Amritsar; Prof VS Chauhan, Chairman, Executive Committee, National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC]- Nominee of Chairman, UGC Member; Prof PK Raina, Director, lIT-Ropar; Prof KN Pathak, former Vice-Chancellor, PU; Prof Raj Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, PU; Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-Nominee of the Chief Minister, Punjab; Paramjit Singh, DPI (Colleges), Government of Punjab; Rubinderjit Singh Brar, Director (Higher Education), Chandigarh Administration; and Satya Pal Jain, Additional Solicitor-General of India – Nominee of the Chancellor, Panjab University.

The committee recommendations include reducing the number of Senate members and changing the graduate constituency to postgraduate contingency.

Earlier this month, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had adjourned the hearing on a petition filed by the PU and another petitioner, stating that it was impossible to hold the Senate elections on May 19 because of the pandemic till July. The matter is being adjourned to July 8 to reassess the situation at that time.