PU, DHE on collision course

CHANDIGARH: The Dean College Development Council (DCDC), Panjab University (PU), has justified the selection process for the post of Principal of GGDSD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, while the Director, Higher Education (DHE), Rubinderjit Singh Brar, has clarified that he will not send his nominee for the interview on Friday as the UGC has imposed a ban on recruitments.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 13

The Dean College Development Council (DCDC), Panjab University (PU), has justified the selection process for the post of Principal of GGDSD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, while the Director, Higher Education (DHE), Rubinderjit Singh Brar, has clarified that he will not send his nominee for the interview on Friday as the UGC has imposed a ban on recruitments.

The DCDC, Prof Sanjay Kaushik, said, “Recruitments are going on in colleges and we are sending selection panels. If you read the UGC letter (dated July 19), it has imposed a ban on recruitments in universities and not colleges. We are sending our nominee for the selection of the Principal.”

The letter from the UGC, addressed to all central universities, state universities receiving grant-in-aid, deemed to be universities receiving grant-in-aid from the UGC and inter-university centres of the UGC, called for postponing the recruitment process, as both the Central Government and the UGC had approached the apex court against the Allahabad High Court judgment of April 7, 2017. The High Court had ordered reservation in faculty recruitment for reserved categories department-wise and not on the existing institution-wise roster.

DHE Rubinderjit Singh Brar said, “We have written to SD College to postpone the recruitment as per the UGC directive. We are not sending our nominee. If there is any confusion, the recruitment of the Principal should be postponed and a clarification should be sought from the University Grants Commission (UGC). If they still carry out recruitment, we will take a call.”

Upkar Krishan Sharma, president of the SD College Management Society, refused to comment on the issue.

The present Principal, Dr Bhushan K Sharma, said, “We are going ahead with the recruitment. For this post, grant comes from the Chandigarh Administration. It is their prerogative whether to send the nominee or not. If they do not send the nominee, the grant wouldn’t come for the post of Principal.”

Eleven people have applied for the post of college Principal.