Senate election soon, Dhankhar assures PU student council head

The Vice-President and Chancellor of Punjab University (PU) Jagdeep Dhankhar has emphasised the need for reforms in the university’s Senate and assured that election to the governing body will be held soon, with a formal notification to follow promptly. The assurance came during a meeting with Punjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) president Anurag Dalal in New Delhi on Friday.

The PU Senate’s tenure ended on October 31 and the elections are yet to be scheduled, sparking over two months of protests by student organisations outside the VC office. These protests were supported by political leaders and elected representatives from Punjab and Chandigarh, highlighting the urgency of the issue.

Dalal, the first independent president in the council history, raised critical concerns during the meeting, including Senate elections, infrastructure deficits and staff grievances. Discussions also addressed specific challenges such as inadequate laboratory facilities, parking issues, classroom conditions and the need for enhanced funding for infrastructure improvements.

On faculty matters, Dalal highlighted the Punjab University Teachers Association’s (PUTA) demand for resolution of pending arrears. In response, Dhankhar assured that he would write to the UGC to expedite action on the issue.

This meeting marked a significant milestone as Dalal became the first PU student union president to engage directly with the university’s Chancellor in New Delhi to address both student and institutional challenges.