‘Ad hocism’ continues: Punjabi University V-C assigns additional charges to faculty

‘Ad hocism’ in running varsity affairs continues for yet another year as Punjabi University vice-chancellor (V-C) Prof BS Ghuman gave charges of important posts, including controller examination and director human resource centre, to faculty members on temporary basis, in Patiala on Sunday.

The university gave charges of controller examination, a prominent non-teaching post, to computer science professor, Dr Kanwaljit Singh. Similarly, Dr Manruchi Kaur, professor of botany, is to take charge as director human resource centre, a post that requires dealing with the University Grants Commission (UGC) Centre for Training of Faculty. As per orders, both are to remain on the said posts “until further orders.”

With this, the Punjabi University now has no permanent appointees for the posts of dean academic affairs, registrar, director public relations, dean students’ welfare, and director cultural affairs.

All these posts are being run on ‘stop-gap arrangement’. Dean research Dr GS Batra has the additional charges of dean academic affairs. Law professor Dr MS Nijjar is holding the post of registrar, another prominent non-teaching post, from the past three years.

The university’s examination system is in tatters as there is no accountability as ad hocism is prevalent in the department. “The post of controller is vacant since three years after the then controller was selected as the information commissioner. In this period, the varsity has done nothing to fill the post,” said officials, pleading anonymity.

“Now, the university has given charges to professors who had earlier worked here, but failed to deliver results. There is a need to undertake computerisation and end manual work for quick declaration of results,” they added.

Punjabi University Teachers’ Association general secretary Gurnam Virk said, “The V-C is not listening to PUTA. Ad hocism at top posts is adversely affecting work of the university. When no one has a fixed term for a post and is working on ad hoc basis, they won’t perform as per capacity.”

“Academic matters, teachers’ issues including promotions, and handling non-teaching activities, all are suffering. PUTA has raised issues of promotion and suffering of students at hands of the examination department multiple times,” Virk added.

He said that PUTA will urge the V-C to end ad hocism. “The university has not even been able to hold convocation since three years. What could be worse?” he added.

V-C Prof Ghuman could not be contacted for comments on the matter. However, officials said that the orders of giving charge of controller examination and director human resource centre to the said faculty members was issued as directed by the V-C.