Police foil attempt of guest faculty lecturers to Gherao residence of CM at Sangrur

Sushil Goyal

Sangrur, July 18

A large number of members of the Guest Faculty Adhyapak Union of Constituent Colleges and Neighbourhood Campuses of Punjabi University, Patiala, attempted to gherao the CM residents today. However, the police foiled their attempt.

The protesters raised slogans against the Punjab Government and staged a dharna on the Sangrur-Patiala road near the CM residence. Their demands include the withdrawal of a notice issued by the Punjabi University asking the serving guest faculty assistant professors (lecturers) of the neighbourhood campuses to appear in the interview for the academic session 024–25. There are five neighbourhood campuses of the Punjabi University in Patiala: Maur Mandi, Talwandi Sabo, Jhunir, Ralla (Mansa), and Delan Sinah (Moga).

The union president, Gursewak Singh, said due to such a notice issued for assistant professors of the neighbourhood campuses, there was fear in the minds of assistant professors working in 14 constituent colleges that they may also be asked to appear in the interview for the 2024–25 academic session.

He said that if the university arranges interviews for guest faculty assistant professors, some of them may lose their jobs despite teaching on the neighbourhood campuses and constituent colleges since 2018. Since then, the university has been granting approval to the assistant professors to teach the students without any interview during every academic session, he added.

Gursewak Singh said they demand the CM withdraw the notice and grant approval for all assistant professors to teach during the 2024–25 academic session. He said the assistant professors were well qualified and fulfilled education qualifications as determined by the UGC, the Punjab Government, and the university.