Poll for six Fellows postponed
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 24
Panjab University has rescheduled the date for the elections for the six posts of ordinary Fellow from various faculties from April 26 to May 19.
The timings of meetings of the faculties would be intimated through meeting notices, said Vikram Nayyar, Officiating Registrar, PU.
“Given the number of members in each faculty, it was difficult to conduct physical meetings of the faculties (which is a mandatory component of election) in the wake of restrictions imposed on physical gatherings by the UT Administration. It was decided to hold the formal meetings of the faculties in an online mode and accordingly, a notice of the revised timing/mode of meetings and election of faculties was scheduled for April 26,” said Nayyar.
He said: “The office received representations from some of the members of faculties to postpone the elections as they expressed their inability to participate in the election process due to recent surge in Covid-19 cases throughout the country. After seeking a legal opinion on the issue to avoid any complication at a later stage, the competent authority rescheduled the polling schedule to May 19.”
The office received representations from some of the members of faculties to postpone the elections as they expressed their inability to participate in the election process due to recent surge in Covid-19 cases throughout the country. After seeking a legal opinion on the issue to avoid any complication at a later stage, the competent authority rescheduled the polling schedule to May 19. —Vikram Nayyar, Officiating Registrar, PU
According to the information, there are 53 voters listed in law faculties, 112 in arts, 94 in languages, 137 science, 87 social science and 272 combined.
What about Senate elections?
“Since the faculty elections have been rescheduled, will the elections dates of various teachers’ constituencies, scheduled for next month, also be rescheduled? Will the elections to graduates constituency rescheduled?” said Dr Mohammed Khalid, former Fellow and Syndic.
In another jolt to candidates, the Director Higher Education (DHE), Himachal Pradesh, has withdrawn the previous orders regarding conducting the Senate elections. In a circular, the DHE stated: “This is in continuation to this office letter of dated April 12, 2021, and to inform that the same has been withdrawn with immediate effect due to the massive spread of Covid-19.”
Murderers of democracy succeed, says Goyal group
Meanwhile, keen on conducting the Senate elections, members of the Goyal group issued a statement and alleged that the murderers of democracy have succeeded in scuttling the elections. “In complete defiance of the court orders and with no respect for the law of the land, they have stopped postponed the elections,” read a statement issued by Keshav Malhotra, Navdeep Goyal , Ronki Ram, Anu Chatrath, Rajesh Gill and Ashok Goyal. Manoj Lubana, president candidate of the Youth Congress, Chandigarh, also condemned the rescheduling of elections.
