Chandigarh, February 23
Panjab University Syndicate today decided to hike the fee by 10 per cent in the university and all affiliated colleges from the forthcoming academic session.
The hike includes charges on all other accounts except the tuition fees, reliable sources said.
Students opting for mathematics as an optional paper will have to pay Rs 2,500 as annual charges. Students in affiliated colleges will pay Rs 4 as fee for participation in the youth festival against the existing rates of Rs 2.
The Syndicate decided to conduct at least two house examinations in colleges during an academic session. Currently, only one examination is being conducted in December. The Syndicate also decided to add 10 per cent weightage of the house examination to add 10 per cent of the score in the house examination to the total of the annual examination to determine the final merit.
Sources said the syndicate decided to withdraw a number of retiral benefits to Prof Gopal Iyer who has been punished for submitting a duplicate birth certificate to the university which does not tally with the original. He has been asked to submit all his original documents within four months from the date of resignation for securing other benefits, if any. The Syndicate decided not to file a criminal case him.
The Syndicate decided that serious charges of allegations pertaining to irregularities concerning finance, admissions, examinations, appointments and plagiarism must be accompanied by an affidavit duly attested by a first class magistrate, executive magistrate or a notary public.
As a mark of honour to a former Vice-Chancellor, Prof R.C.Paul, the syndicate decided to name the hall in the Biotechnology Department after him. The university has constituted a committee under Dr Deepak Manmohan and Prof Satya P. Gautam to organise an annual lecture in the memory of a noted poet Kumar Vikal who had deep roots in the university academics.
The Syndicate appointed a central purchase committee to look after the purchases by the university, particularly relating to stationery. A committee has been constituted comprising Justice D.V.Sehgal, Mr Gopal Krishan Chatrath and Principal A.C.Vaid to look into the university’s reply regarding a case where admission of a candidate in Physical Education has been challenged.
The university has decided to constitute a committee to look into the expenditure of the Fund for College Development Council. It was pointed out that the university needs to clearly identify potential areas for university expenditure for development of academic activities in colleges.
There were also protests from certain student quarters, including the Panjab University Campus Students Council, the ABVP and PUSA against the proposed fee hike.
The Syndicate has approved the appointment of Prof Bal Krishna, Department of Law, as the honorary director of the coaching for the IAS. It has approved the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Semiconductors Complex Limited and PU.
The Syndicate announced creation of a Career Counselling, Guidance and Placement Bureau at the university campus. It approved weightage to NCC certificate holders for admissions to various courses. The Syndicate also instituted M.Sc in Environment Science and Diploma in Advanced Scientific Computation.
