Panjab University Syndicate to meet on August 26

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, August 19

The Panjab University syndicate will meet on August 26 to discuss issues such as approval for appointing a returning officer for the election of ordinary fellows (due next month), a hike in the Youth Welfare budget and fees to be charged from candidates applying for teaching posts to be advertised by the university. The House is likely to discuss and approve the appointment of the university’s registrar for the election of ordinary fellows.

The House will discuss the recommendations of the committee to hike the budget head of the Youth Welfare Fund for the financial year 2023–24. The committee has recommended an increase in the current budget for participation in inter-university, state/north zone and national events to Rs 80,000 from existing Rs 40,000. Similarly, an increase in the travel allowance from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 will be discussed. The entitlement for community mess during the youth camp tours has also been increased to Rs 250 from Rs 200 (per student). The House is expected to give its nod to the recommendation of the Joint Academic and Administrative Committee (JAAC) for appointing former Vice-Chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover as an honorary professor in the Department of Physics.

Besides, the syndicate will discuss the recommendation of a committee, which approved a hike in the fee for candidates applying for teaching posts to be advertised by the university. The committee recommended charging a fee of Rs 2,000 (an existing Rs 375) from members of the general category, Rs 1,000 (an existing Rs 150) from those belonging to the SC/SCT category, and Rs 1,000 (an existing Rs 185) from those falling in the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category.

The House will also consider the recommendation of the committee to reserve one seat for a transgender student in the MSc Stem Cell and the Tissue Engineering Department.

Increase in budget to be discussed

• The House will discuss the recommendations of the committee to hike the budget head of the Youth Welfare Fund for the financial year 2023–24
• The committee has recommended an increase in the current budget for participation in inter-university, state/north zone and national events to Rs 80,000 from existing Rs 40,000