Chandigarh: PU to conduct senate election, not Centre, says Majumdar
Centre said that PU has been established by Panjab University Act, 1947 and its academic as well as administrative matters are governed by the rules/regulations made thereunder; as per rules, senate election is conducted by the University after due approval from chancellor i.e. vice-president of India
In response to Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari’s query regarding delay in holding senate elections for Panjab University (PU), the minister of state (MOS) for education, Sukanta Majumdar, said it was not in central government’s ambit to notify senate elections.
On December 3, 2024, during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Tewari had questioned whether the central government was aware that process for PU senate elections had not been initiated despite its tenure ending on October 31, 2024.
Replying to Tewari in its letter, the centre said that PU has been established by Panjab University Act, 1947, and its academic as well as administrative matters are governed by the rules/regulations made thereunder. As per rules, senate election is conducted by the university after due approval from chancellor, Vice-President of India.
“The central government is guided by the autonomy of the Panjab University and does not interfere in process for constitution of its statutory bodies,” MOS Sukanta Majumdar added.
As per officials, PU had sent a tentative schedule for holding the senate elections four times last year to the chancellor’s office but no response was received on any of the occasions. Officials said that the elections cannot be called till the chancellor sends his approval to PU. This is a primary cause of delay in conducting of senate elections in the varsity.
PU has remained without a senate body since October 31, 2024. PU authorities are, however, still taking decisions for the varsity and making policy decisions by passing them in anticipation of the senate’s approval, which has limited the scope of issues in comparison to an active senate year.
