Why state won't give up its share of claim to PU

The 11-day-long massive student protest at Panjab University (PU), triggered by the Centre’s decision to overhaul its governance structure, has reignited Haryana’s long-standing demand of its “share in the university”.

With the Northern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah slated to be held in Faridabad’s Surajkund on November 17, the state government is hoping to “secure” a nod for its proposal of the re-affiliation of its colleges in Panchkula, Ambala, and Yamunanagar districts with the university.

Haryana has been striving to restore its ties with Panjab University for several years, with re-affiliation of its colleges since 2017.

In the monsoon session in 2022, the state Legislative Assembly passed a resolution for seeking a “share of affiliation of colleges in Panjab University, Chandigarh”, and for protecting the “interests of citizens and students of state” and assuring the “paying share of grant” in the university unanimously.

Again, in 2023, under the then CM, Manohar Lal Khattar, now the Union Power Minister, the issue received a major push when the CMs of both states met to discuss the matter. Subsequently, multiple meetings were chaired by the Punjab Governor and attended by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Khattar. Mann opposed Haryana’s proposal, emphasising that the university represented Punjab’s culture, history, and heritage.

At one of the meetings, Khattar said though Haryana's share was given under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, and the colleges and regional centres of Haryana were affiliated to the PU, it was abolished by another notification in the early 1970s.

Despite Mann’s refusal, the Haryana Government has continued to pursue its claim, approaching the Centre to seek the affiliation of colleges from its three districts with the university.

“Our demand for the affiliation of all government colleges in the three districts is currently pending before the Northern Zonal Council, headed by the Union Home Minister, which deals with all inter-state matters. The council is expected to hold a meeting next week and is likely to discuss affiliation as well. Haryana is a stakeholder in the PU, having been part of it in the past, and shares a historical connection with the institution. A large number of students from Haryana study at the university, which is located in Chandigarh—as much our capital as Punjab’s. That is why we are seeking the restoration of our share,” said a senior official of the state Higher Education Department.

The media secretary to the CM, Parveen Attrey, also endorsed the official’s statement, saying that there was no doubt in Haryana having a rightful share in the PU. “Punjab can protest all it wants on the issue of the Senate, but the PU is not, and cannot be, theirs alone. We stand by our earlier demand for the restoration of affiliation of our colleges from three districts, as well as our share in its governance. We are in touch with the Union Government over the issue and will get our rightful share,” said Attrey.