Panjab University yet to send notification of Jan 8 meeting to all members: Senators

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 1

Ahead of the Panjab University (PU) Senate meeting, scheduled for January 8 after a gap of two years, some Senators have alleged that they have yet to receive its notification and agenda.

Sources claimed that 77 members, including 36 nominated by the Chancellor and six elected from the constituency of faculties, have been notified about the meeting.

However, eight members, elected from the constituency of teachers of affiliated arts colleges, are yet to be notified following some legal glitch.

Last month, PU registrar Vikram Nayyar had issued a notification regarding the meeting, to be held at the Senate hall of the university on January 8. Highly placed sources said 77 members had already received the meeting’s agenda and notification.

“We have confirmation of the members’ about receiving meeting’s agenda and notification. We still have a few days left and will personally call everyone from Monday onwards,” said an official.

“The House should be called to full capacity at the meeting. Never had happened that the House has been called without any of the elected members,” said a Senate member.

“Meeting notices are delivered to all members via email. Even agenda papers have been dispatched at designated addresses of all members personally through officials of the university. Besides this, a telephonic confirmation will be obtained from respective members regarding receipt of the agenda papers,” said an official, seeking anonymity.

Fellows write to Chancellor to defer meeting

Some elected fellows of Panjab University have written to the Vice-President, who is PU Chancellor, for deferring the upcoming Panjab University Senate meeting, scheduled for January 8.

The letter states: “The meeting has been scheduled without the entire Senate being notified as per the Panjab University Act. It is also to bring into your consideration that those elected members, who were not notified, had been elected after thoroughly scrutinising their candidatures as per the given procedure for conducting the Panjab University Senate elections. The electoral process was completed by the university under the directions of the Punjab & Haryana High Court (CWP No. 22229 of 2020). It is for the first time in the history of the PU that the notification of the Senate was done in two parts. First, nominated members were notified on September 21, 2021, and subsequently second incomplete list of elected members was notified on December 20, 2021, without including 14 elected members of the Senate. We appeal to get the notification of 14 elected members issued immediately so as to uphold the democratic principles enshrined in the Panjab University Act and also direct the Vice-Chancellor to defer meeting of the incomplete Senate till it is fully constituted.”

The letter has been signed by fellows Rajat Sandhir, Jatinder Grover, Parveen Goyal, Naresh Gaur, Suresh Kumar, Savita Kansal, Kirandeep Kaur, Sandeep Kataria and Dyal Partap Singh Randhawa. The election to the PU Senate was held from August last year.

About Senate

The Senate is a 91-member apex governing body of the university. While 36 members are nominated by the Vice-President of India, who is Chancellor of Panjab University, two are nominated from the Punjab Assembly, six are ex-officio members and 47 are elected from eight constituencies.

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