PU Senate reforms: Protesting students reject proposal for forming stakeholders body

Students protesting against the delay in elections to the Panjab University Senate have decided not to accept a proposal of the authorities to constitute a stakeholders’ committee, which could have suggested reforms to the Senate. The students, agitating under the “Panjab University Bachao Morcha” , have demanded that the Senate should be revived and the body should itself pass reforms.

The university had also sent the recommendations of the 2018 committee formed under the chairmanship of Justice Dr Bharat Bhushan Parsoon to the protesters, to serve as the base point of reform discussions.

“We do not want to be a part of the authorities’ attempt to get the reforms suggested through us, ultimately shifting the onus. For such a task, expert committees should be formed. Two bodies were formed earlier in 2018 and 2021 and their recommendations have already been sent to the Chancellor. Nothing has be done on those lines,” said Avtar Singh from the Student Organisation of India, a student leader of the morcha.

On Monday, five members from the morcha — Fellow Simran Dhillon, Avtar Singh from the Student Organisation of Panjab University, Rimaljot from SATH, Gagan from Punjabnama and Gursimran Arif Ke from the Shiromani Akali Dal-backed Student Organisation of India — had met the five-member PU body comprising Dean of Student Welfare Prof Amit Chauhan, Prof Navdeep Goyal, Prof Emanual Nahar, Prof Nandita and Prof Sukhvir Kaur. The meeting was chaired by VC Renu Vig. The authorities proposed that a committee of stakeholders, including students, Fellows, alumni, teachers and non-teaching staff, could be constituted that could give suggestions on reforms with regard to the Senate, which will be forwarded to the Chancellor.

Increase number of elected members: Fellows

Elected senators have stated that while the governance reforms committees of 2018 and 2021 had suggested downsizing the body to about half of its present strength, the number of elected Fellows should be increased in view of the rising number of students and more than 200 affiliated colleges. The committee formed under the chairmanship of retired Justice Dr Bharat Bhushan Parsoon in 2018 had recommended a reduction in the number of Senate members from 93 to 46. In 2021, another committee, under the chairmanship of Prof RP Tiwari, then VC of Central University, Bathinda, had proposed to reduce the Senate size from 93 to 47.