PU senate poll delay: MP Malvinder Singh Kang protests outside V-C’s office

Member of Parliament (MP) from the Anandpur Sahib constituency and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Malvinder Singh Kang, spoke about how undermining the Senate is a part of the Centre’s strategy to gain more control over Panjab University (PU). MP Kang participated in the ongoing protest outside the vice-chancellor’s (V-C’s) office on Monday afternoon regarding delay in holding Senate elections.

Speaking about the delay, Kang said there was no reason for the chancellor to delay the notification of election and this is just how the Centre works. “The senate is a democratic body which involves all the stakeholders. It should be replicated in other universities, yet the Centre is doing the opposite. Even under National Education Policy, the provision to have a Board of Governors is a scheme by the government to have more control over the universities,” he added.

The MP said Punjab governor had also recently called a meeting with the chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana over issues related to PU and the centre is working on centralising the varsity and taking away control from Punjab. “Four years earlier too we had fought for the Senate during the previous V-C’s term and we will do so again,” he said.

PU officials have maintained that the delay has happened at the chancellor’s end, and the varsity has prepared an election schedule and sent it for the chancellor’s office for approval four times. Regarding this, Kang said it is important to get the chancellor’s final approval. “He should also look at the sentiments of the students and teachers in the varsity. I have already written to him and the education minister and we will further pursue the matter,” he added. He said there may be political pressure on PU officials, like registrar and V-C and they may not be revealing the complete picture.

While there is talk of reforms being introduced in the Senate, MP Kang said he is not against including reforms but the process should be done democratically. “There is also no need to go to court over this. The Panjab University Act was passed by the Parliament. It is not a judicial fight now but a political fight which we will take up,” he said.

One of the protesting senators IS Sidhu was also present here and he spoke about how they are reaching out to the Punjab government to listen to their demands. An appeal has been sent to other senators and teachers’ unions to come forward. However, some senators are still not associating themselves with the protests. Right now students are more active at these protests than the senators. The Punjab government also hasn’t fully endorsed the protest and Kang was the first major leader to actually turn up at the protest site. Some Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) members were also present at the protest on Monday.

The Senate is the apex body of the university and has the entire management of, and superintendence over the affairs, concerns and property of the varsity. The body comprises 91 members, out of which 47 are elected from eight constituencies and the rest are nominated or ex-officio members.