Panjab University sexual harassment cases: Senate approves names of members of committee, complainant fumes

Earlier, the university Syndicate had approved the names of the members of the committee. As many as 54 members attended the meeting of the Senate.

AFTER AN exchange of heated arguments at a special meeting convened on Sunday, the majority of the Panjab University senators approved the names of members of the committee proposed to be set up to deal with cases of sexual harassment of women at workplace in accordance with the relevant Act. Earlier, the university Syndicate had approved the names of the members of the committee. As many as 54 members attended the meeting of the Senate. Of them, five members gave their dissenting note and argued that the Chancellor should set up the committee at his own level.

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While objecting to the committee, a Senator who has given a complaint of sexual harassment against PU Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover said, “The most important objection I have to the constitution of this committee is that it has been constituted at the behest of the accused, the Vice Chancellor. One syndic in a premeditated plan proposed the names of the members of the committee and others without any application of mind seconded the same.”

The names approved at Sunday’s meeting included Meenaxi Anand Chaudhary, former chief secretary of Haryana, Prof Pam Rajput, Principal Anita Kaushal, Dr Devi Sirohi, Justice (retired) Jasbir Singh, Justice (retired) Harbans Lal, Gurjot Singh Malhi and one nominee of the UT Administration. Poonam Chopra, Deputy Registrar, will act as convener of the committee.

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The complainant said, “I object to the convening of this special Senate meeting today since neither Senate nor Syndicate nor MHRD is competent to form a committee in case of a complaint.”

Some members stated that the convening of the meeting was illegal because proper procedure had not been followed to convene it. “It is a completely illegal meeting because no requisition was made by the Chancellor, Vice- Chancellor as no papers have been provided to us by the office in the agenda items,” said senator Ashok Goyal.

Some members sought a copy of the letter in which the Vice-Chancellor had stated that this issue would be taken up at the meeting. They also asked on what basis the members of the committee had been selected.

However, members of the Senate who favoured the approval of the names said that there was nothing wrong with the names proposed for the committee. All are reputed people with clean record and excellent credentials.

Announcements by VC

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* Somali writer Dr Nuruddin Farah to deliver PU Colloquium on March 16
* Dr P D Gupta to give First Professor H S Hans Memorial Lecture on March 24. Dr N S Kapany shall also give an expository lecture during his visit
* Commemorative postage stamp on Prof Balwant Gargi, an alumnus of Panjab University, to be released by Centre

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