PU share restoration plea under Centre's consideration: Haryana to HC

Saurabh Malik

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Chandigarh, October 29

Haryana’s plea for restoration of its share in Panjab University is under consideration of the Union Government and its instrumentalities. In an application filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the state has submitted that it had shot off communications in this regard and the matter was being contemplated upon.

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The development is significant as another Bench hearing a related matter was earlier told that Haryana colleges were at one point of time affiliated to the university. But things changed in 1974 when the then Haryana Chief Minister was made to sit among the audience, while his Punjab counterpart shared the dais during an event. Haryana colleges were eventually de-affiliated.

“It is pertinent to mention that the Haryana Government has written a DO letter (dated July 31, 2017), and other letters to the Government of India for initiation of the process of restoration of Haryana’s share in Panjab University, Chandigarh, which is under consideration of the Union Government and its instrumentalities,” the application read.

The development is significant as another Bench hearing a related matter was earlier told that Haryana colleges were at one point of time affiliated to the university. But things changed in 1974 when the then Haryana Chief Minister was made to sit among the audience, while his Punjab counterpart shared the dais during an event. Haryana colleges were eventually de-affiliated.

The High Court was also told that Haryana intended to reopen the chapter it closed almost four decades back. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had already received a proposal from the Haryana government for affiliation of some of its colleges to Panjab University.

The application came about five months after the High Court directed the Central Government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Education, to consider the issue of Panjab University’s conversion into a Central University.

The direction came on a petition against the Punjab and other respondents by Dr Sangita Bhalla through counsel Sameer Sachdeva. The Centre was represented by Arun Gosain. Justice Sehrawat asserted the case had presented “a very strange situation”.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, had issued notification dated March 29, applying the Central Civil Service Rules to the employees of Chandigarh Administration, including the teachers in the government colleges and institutions of higher education functioning within the Union Territory.

But the “applicability clause” of the notification showed that it did not cover the teachers working in either the aided-private colleges or working in the affiliating Panjab University, Chandigarh. As a result, the lecturers working in the government colleges and the government institutes of higher education in Chandigarh would be retiring at 65. But the professors/lecturers working in the Univesity’s teaching departments and the affiliated colleges, would be retiring at 60 as per their existing rules.

Justice Rajbir Sehrawat had added: “Therefore, to remove all ambiguities and to clear the confusion prevalent in all the spheres relating to the affairs of the university, the Central Government deserve to consider formal conversion of Panjab University, Chandigarh, into a Central University.…”