Uncertainty over Punjab Agricultural University VC’s extension as tenure ends on Tuesday

The suspense over the future leadership of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, has reached its peak as the tenure of Vice-Chancellor Dr Satbir Singh Gosal concludes on 18th August, 2026.

Despite the looming deadline, the state government has yet to announce whether Gosal will be granted an extension or not, leaving faculty and staff in a state of speculation.

Dr Gosal, a distinguished biotechnologist, was appointed as PAU’s Vice Chancellor on August 19, 2022. His appointment came after the university had remained without a permanent VC for nearly a year following the retirement of Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, PAU’s longest-serving Vice-Chancellor. Dhillon had led the institution from July 2011 to June 2021, securing two extensions during his tenure and completing a decade of service.

Barely two months into Gosal’s tenure, controversy erupted in October 2022 when the then Governor Banwarilal Purohit declared his appointment “illegal” and urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to remove him. Mann, however, defended the decision, reiterating that Gosal’s appointment was made under the Punjab and Haryana Agricultural University Act, 1970, which empowers the university’s board to appoint the VC without requiring approval from the Governor or the Chief Minister.

Unlike other universities such as GNDU, Amritsar, and Punjabi University, Patiala, where the Chancellor oversees appointments, the PAU operates as a professional university with its Board of Management holding the authority. The UGC norms do not apply in the case, further strengthening the legitimacy of Gosal’s appointment.

As uncertainty deepens, faculty members remain divided. “In such a condition, I think he will not be given extension,” remarked one faculty member, pointing to the recent advertisement published in newspapers inviting applications for the post of the PAU VC.

On the other hand, the PAU Employees’ Union has backed Gosal, writing to the Chief Minister and the Governor to extend his tenure. The union highlighted development works carried out under his leadership, crediting him with taking the university “to new heights”.

Dr Gosal, when contacted in this regard, acknowledged the uncertainty, stating that the government had remained “tight-lipped” and that “tomorrow only things will unfold”.

The unfolding decision carries weight not only for the PAU but also for the state’s agricultural landscape. With Gosal’s tenure ending on Tuesday, the government’s silence has fueled speculation about whether continuity will be prioritised or a new leadership will be ushered in.