M A I N   N E W S

Law varsity Bill passed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 17
The Punjab Assembly today passed the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, Bill, 2006, to establish an exclusive university to impart legal education in the state. Its headquarters will be at Patiala.

The estimated cost on it will be Rs 60 crore. The capital cost on the project as well as the maintenance grant will be shared by Punjab and the Union Governments on a 50-50 basis.

There will be provision for distant and continuing legal education in the university. The Chief Justice of India, or his nominee, who will be a senior Judge of the Supreme Court, will the Visitor of the university. The Visitor, when present, will preside over the convocation of the university and the meetings of the General Council.

The Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court will be the Chancellor of the university and, in his absence, the acting Chief Justice of the High Court will discharge the functions of the Chancellor. And the Chancellor, in the absence of the Visitor, will preside over the convocations and the meetings of the General Council. Vast powers have been given to the Chancellor.

The General Council will be the supreme authority of the university. Its chairman will be the Chancellor of the university. Among other members, the council will include the Attorney General of India, the Chairman of the Bar Council of India, the Chief Secretary of Punjab, the Advocate-General of Punjab, the Chairman of the Punjab and Haryana Bar Council, the Legal Remembrance of Punjab.

There will be an executive council and an academic council besides other bodies in the university.

Meanwhile, the post of Pro-Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences has been abolished by passing the relevant amendment to the University Act.