PU senator writes to chancellor over delay in senate elections schedule
Senator Inderpal Singh Sidhu in his letter explained the implication of not announcing the schedule as the term of the present senate ends on October 31, 2024. As per the PU academic calendar, the dates of issuing notice have to be declared 240 days before the date fixed for elections
With Panjab University (PU) set to hold elections for its apex body this year, a PU senator has written to the chancellor, vice-president of India Jagdeep Singh Dhankhar, over a delay in announcing the schedule of elections of ordinary fellows.
Senator Inderpal Singh Sidhu in his letter explained the implication of not announcing the schedule as the term of the present senate ends on October 31, 2024. As per the PU academic calendar, the dates of issuing notice have to be declared 240 days before the date fixed for elections. During previous years, the notice was usually issued in January for which the elections were held on the third Sunday of September. This gave ample time for nominations, counting votes, declaration of results, and notification to put in place the new governing panel by November 1. The only exception was in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Sidhu iterated that even if the schedule is announced now, the elections would be held sometime around the end of December 2024. From November 1 onwards till the time the elections are conducted, PU would remain without a senate, he said.
Another senator, on the condition of anonymity, said the officials had been waiting to get the schedule approved from the start of the year, but the higher authorities delayed it.
PU registrar YP Verma said the authorities are aware of this and have already sent the schedule for final approval. Officials explained that as per Panjab University Act, “No act done by the university shall be deemed to be invalid merely by reasons of vacancy among either class of elected ordinary fellows, or of members of the profession of education to be included among ordinary fellows, being less than the minimum prescribed by the act.”
They explained that even as elections are likely to be delayed, some other constituencies will already be in place along with the nominated members. Apart from three constituencies including ordinary fellows, elections of the other constituencies require 90 days notice rather than 240 days which can be conducted well before the term of the senate ends.
