Retain Senate, but no political interference, please

Should panjab university have senate or board of governors/directors

University should Go ahead with board

Panjab University should have Directors/ Board of Governors because they are more responsible. Take for example managements of colleges. There is no need for Senate? The university authorities should go ahead with the new option.

Jaskaran Bhandari, Chandigarh

University Senate needs reforms

Punjab University (PU) definitely needs a Senate and a Syndicate, but reforms are required in these two bodies. The Senate and the Syndicate were established in the interest of the university, but over the years they have become undemocratic and ridden with factionalism. As a matter of fact, Senate and Syndicate have become dens of corruption. University administration officials are forced to become mute spectators at their meetings. Hence Senate and Syndicate have become hindrances in improving the academic and administrative quality of the university. This led to decline in relevance of the two governing bodies over a period of time. Both should have members from the field of higher education. Politics should be shown the door. Delay in elections to Senate is hurting interest of students.

Rajiv Boolchand Jain, Zirakpur

Senate has given birth to dirty politics

Senate has given birth to dirty politics in Panjab University. It has led to misgovernance of the university for the last five decades. The university should have Board of Governors. Its members should be eminent persons from the field of management and have proven track record of bringing institutions back on the track. Their number should not exceed five.

KC Rana, Chandigarh

Senate cannot be replaced

Senate comprises 92 members of whom 50 per cent are elected and the remaining are nominated. It is an independent body and sans any politicians. All members of Senate are able educationists, who take collective decisions. Senate elections are held after every four years. The system has been in place for a long time and the university is performing well. The Board of Governors or Directors will not be so effective in university governance as they will be nominated by the Chancellor. As a result good number of politicians will become Senate members. Panjab University deserves to be headed by educationists. Decisions taken by educationists can improve teaching and benefit students.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Hold online Senate elections

Panjab University should continue with Senate. During the Covid pandemic Senate elections are not possible. Without Senate the functioning of Punjab University will be interrupted. So, Senate elections should be held online. The new House will help in smooth functioning of the university.

Adish Sood, Amloh

Form board for one year

Panjab University must have a governing body to function properly. It must include one representative each from academics, administration, sports, law and colleges. Class IV employees’ and students’ representative should also be included to raise their grievances. One person from the higher authorities and the VC should be included in the body for redressal of grievances and implementation of policies. The duration of the governing body should be one year so that new members with innovative ideas can be included in it for the betterment of the PU. Elections to the body should be held on time without any gap.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Board is better choice for varsity

Senators have been looking after the PU affairs for a long time. The system has the approval of the Central Government. Switching over to Board of Governors/Directors may be better choice because candidates with proven track record can be selected from other states. Board will form and implement better policies for Panjab University. The PU authorities can study working of other institutions to change the Senate system. The new system should have backing of the Central Government.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

Senate comprises best of brains

There is no doubt that Panjab University should continue with its Senate. This elected body is best for working of the university. Education system under Board of Governors/Directors is a failure. Senate comprises best of brains, who are aware of the shortcomings and amendments to be made, to improve academics and administration in the university. Senate is not under any political pressure, which is why the Central Government is going after the body as it wants to dictate its ideology to the PU House.

Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh

Spare Panjab varsity for students’ education

Any system will work perfectly sans political interference. At least spare institutions for students’ education. The present Senate system has been working perfectly till date. Delay in Senate elections has created problems for the university. It is due to political interference. It will be better if Panjab University continues with Senate to run its affairs.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Singh Minhas (retd), Mohali

Senate part and parcel of univeristy

Punjab University should continue with Senate as it comprises only academician whereas Boards of Governors/Directors will be a politically appointed body. Moreover, Punjab University is the only institution in the region, which can boast about Senate. This tradition must continue as it is part and parcel of the university. Tempering or dilution of the present system will affect academic standards of the university. Board of Governors/Directors will increase political interference, which in turn will affect university standards. PU should retain Senate at any cost for the betterment of the university, its faculty and students.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Chandigarh

Senate has not outlived its utility

The four-year term of Panjab University Senate came to an end on October 31. Now, PU is without apex governing body. There is now uncertainty over its future with polls not being notified, a development coinciding with the Central Government announcing National Education Policy, which envisages constitution of the Board of Governors in all universities. Now, the role of Senators in functioning of the PU has come under criticism. The notion of Senate has not outlived its utility in the academic institution. What has outlived is the role assigned and privileges accorded to Senators in the PU Act 1947. What is needed is reforms in the Senate. The PU Act needs a review to meet requirements of the university. The present Senate should continue till a new body is formed.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

A Better option is to overhaul the senate

Although, scrapping and dissolution of the PU Senate, which is claimed to be politically stained, in favour of a neutral Board of Governors (BoG) to be nominated by the Central Government as per the National Education Policy (NEP), seems a Utopian reform, yet it will shift the decision making from the local level to the Centre. Localised control is better than the centralised as issues don’t get overlooked and stakeholders can have a say in the affairs of the university. Instead of scrapping Syndicate, it must be overhauled by including academician rather than politicians from non-academia, who have been governing the body and taking decisions ignoring even senior PU professors. New Syndics must be governed by stricter laws.

Simran Sidhu, Chandigarh

Old order must change

The Senate-Syndicate model of governance for the PU is no longer in tune with its scope and potential that has undergone a sea change over the past decades when it mainly conducted all examinations from Matriculation onwards. Punjab and Haryana colleges are no longer obliged to be affiliated with it. The old order must change lest one good custom should eat up the institution. At present PU is neither a central nor state university. This scourge is dwarfing its growth. It’s high time that the PU becomes a Central University under its usual uniform governance model. PU needs to concentrate on excellence in education and research with no room for student or faculty politics. A new governance model is long overdue. A Board of Governors should take control of the university affairs.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

More democratic than board

Senate is working well in Panjab University (PU). Some other institutions have adopted Board of Governors/Directors, which is also working. Senate is more democratic than board or directors. As per the popular saying “For the form of governance, let fools contest, but what administrated best is the best”. The question is to provide the best administration, facilities and welfare of students and university. Elected representatives are more accountable than nominated directors or governors. Senate should continue in PU without becoming a political body.

Capt Amar Jeet Kumar (retd), Mohali

It Has served its purpose well

Senate should not be abolished because Senators work for the university and make policies for students and faculty members. It is a unique and majestic system which has representation from different walks of life. Senate has not outlived its utility in the academic institution. It has always discharged its responsibilities and served its purpose well. No doubt, some reforms may be required in the Senate. Senators must be accountable to university students, faculty and the staff for policies and achieving objectives of the institution.

Anita Tandon, Kharar

Its A hindrance in varsity’s functioning

Many students and even former VCs feel that Senate has become means to appease some leaders. The Senate system has become a hindrance in the functioning of the university. This is the right time for comprehensive reforms. A Board of Governors/Directors take control of the PU affairs. This model is successfully working in many institutions.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Two heads always better than one

Everyone knows that a single person can not run any institution. Two heads are better than one. An effective and proper advisory committee can solve every problem systematically. The PU Senate has been working for the welfare of the university. Senate is better than the Board of Governors/Directors. Students and staff members can easily contact Senators and discuss their problems. A board/Directors cannot help university students, faculty and the staff because they will not understand their basic problems.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

Its A forum for political slugfest

Panjab University has a rich legacy which needs to be preserved at any cost. Of late, the Senate has failed in its responsibility of running the university professionally. It has become a forum for political slugfest in most meetings. No professionalism is displayed in interactions during Senate meetings. It’s high time that a new governance model is adopted by Panjab University so that it regains its lost stature. PU needs to minimise manual work for student centric dissemination of quality services. A Board of Governors is the best way forward.

Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Senate elections in dire need of reforms

Senate is an old and democratic way to elect members who make policies, solve issues and help in functioning of the university. There is no change in the Senate elections from last many years. A voter in the graduate constituency is a person, who has already left university. The university should reform Senate elections. If that is not possible then PU must shift to Board of Governors like in other institutions.

Avinsh Goyal, Chandigarh

Board can make PU admn more efficient

Nomination of professionals and educationists as Directors and on the Board of Governors would bring more efficiency in the Panjab University administration. It would also help in quick and effective decision making vis-a-vis the existing Senate system. Moreover, adoption of the new system will stop wastage of time, money and energy on conducting Senate elections. Besides, political influence will also reduce in the university. Urgent issues will be resolved. If constituted, board will have nominees from different disciplines having sufficient and relevant experience in the field of education and research. The board will have a strong and sustainable administrative control over the university.

Hardeep Singh Slaich, Mohali

Abolishing Senate won’t be a good move

Abolishing the PU Senate is not a right move. Already elections to the Senate have been postponed on one pretext or the other. When elections can be held in states in the Covid-19 pandemic then why not for the Senate? There is no reason to delay elections with a view to abolish PU Senate. It will deny democratic rights to students, faculty and the staff of the university. The authorities must shelve the move to abolish Senate and hold elections to the body.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

Senate doing fairly well, should continue

Panjab University should continue with the present system as it is doing fairly well. Board of Governors will entail a lot of political influence and day-to-day working will be impacted. Outside influence especially political will be detrimental for the university. It may create differences between student unions and lead to unrest. It may favour government agenda even if it is not good for students and the teaching fraternity.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

Hold Senate elections immediately

The Senate poll, which was to be held before the end of its present term, has been postponed. Worst will be when the term of the Syndicate ends on December 31. No meeting of the body was held after July 2020 . Both Senate and Syndicate have been rendered defunct on flimsy grounds. In the absence of these statutorily constituted bodies, all decisions taken arbitrary by the authorities are illegal. To upkeep the constitutional and conventional traditions of the university and in the interest of academia and research, the need of the hour is to hold early elections of Senate followed by Syndicate.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

QUESTION

The enhanced fine for not wearing a face mask seems to have failed to act as a deterrent and instil a sense of responsibility among residents of Chandigarh and Mohali. What more needs to be done to make people wear a mask in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to

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