PU faculty member calls for mature, modern reforms

Amid intensifying debate over Panjab University’s governance structure and the political storm triggered by the now-withdrawn October 28 overhaul, a senior faculty member of the university has cautioned against reducing the crisis to street slogans or narrow territorial claims.

Speaking to The Tribune, Prof Manu Sharma, Mechanical Engineering, UIET, and Director, CIIPP/Coordinator, TEC, said Panjab University was “not a regional entity but the custodian of a civilisational legacy spanning four present-day states”. He said any reform must be rooted in the university’s 142-year history and undertaken with dignity, transparency and academic seriousness.

Prof Sharma traced the university’s lineage to the University of Punjab, Lahore (1882), whose first Senate met in Simla — then part of the undivided Punjab Province that included today’s Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. After Partition, he said, the PU moved through Simla, Solan, Ambala, Amritsar, Jullundur, Hoshiarpur, Delhi and Dalhousie, operating colleges and departments across all four territories. “By the time the PU settled in Chandigarh in 1960, it carried forward not only the academic DNA of Lahore but the aspirations of the entire undivided region,” he said.

He cautioned that present political rhetoric ignores this inheritance. “Panjab University belongs to the people of the historic Punjab — not to one state, not to one group, not to one movement,” he said, adding that reforms must be “forward-looking, efficiency-driven, academically anchored and participatory”.

Prof Sharma called the current 91-member Senate “unwieldy and unmanageable”, arguing that Haryana’s 90-member Assembly governs a state, while PU’s Senate governs a single university. “Consensus-building becomes impossible, and unruly behaviour inside Senate meetings sets a damaging example for students,” he said, endorsing a reduction in size.

He also flagged major concerns with the 15-seat Graduates Constituency, requiring polling across five states at high cost. Low voter turnout and candidates winning with minimal votes, he said, “raise serious questions about democratic legitimacy”. He suggested that the Election Commission of India could conduct these elections instead.

Prof Sharma further recommended term limits, restricting Senators to two terms to prevent entrenched dominance and allow fresh ideas.

Stating that the overhaul notification may have been withdrawn but the problems remain, he emphasised the need for a comprehensive, consultative draft of reforms, open to public scrutiny, before the Chancellor finalises changes. “Reforms should strengthen PU’s legacy — not dilute it,” he said.

KEY REFORM DEMANDS

Reduce Senate size for effective governance and dignity.

Revamp Graduates Constituency; consider ECI to conduct elections.

Introduce two-term limit for Senators.

Undertake broad consultation with students, faculty, alumni and experts.

Release a draft reforms document for public feedback before finalisation.

Ensure reforms preserve PU’s 142-year legacy of the undivided Punjab Province.

WHY PU’S DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURE MATTERS

PU’s Senate/Syndicate is one of India’s oldest university governance systems.

It evolved from the 1882 Lahore model and continued across Simla, Ambala, Delhi, Jullundur, Hoshiarpur and Chandigarh.

Historically included representation from teachers, graduates, principals, ex-officio academic heads and government nominees.

Its diversity and electoral character are considered essential to preserving autonomy, academic freedom and regional heritage.

Critics argue the structure needs modernisation, not demolition.