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PU braces for full shutdown

Meanwhile, the university appears to have withdrawn its in-house committee formed on November 17 to examine Haryana’s legal and constitutional claim on PU’s governing bodies.

The shutdown is expected to spill beyond the campus. The Student Centre is likely to remain closed, a rare occurrence, and many shops in Sector 14 are expected to down shutters in solidarity. (File Photo)

Panjab University (PU) is preparing for a complete shutdown on November 25 as student groups join farmers, engineers and employees in protest across Punjab.

The PU Bachao Morcha, which has called for a total halt to activity, says all three main gates will be closed from 10 am. The Administrative Block will not function, departments will remain shut and no classes will run through the day. With the university declining to declare November 26 a holiday despite scheduling examinations, the Morcha has declared that “not a single exam” will be allowed to take place.

“Every exam will be stopped,” the protest group’s vice-president Ashmit Singh told The Indian Express. “On November 10, the university declared a holiday because of the protest. This time they are pretending nothing is happening. The silence has only strengthened students’ resolve to halt all academic activity.”

The shutdown is expected to spill beyond the campus. The Student Centre is likely to remain closed, a rare occurrence, and many shops in Sector 14 are expected to down shutters in solidarity.

Meanwhile, the university appears to have withdrawn its in-house committee formed on November 17 to examine Haryana’s legal and constitutional claim on PU’s governing bodies.

For the protest group, the abrupt disappearance only reinforces what they have argued from the start: that the university had no mandate to examine a constitutional dispute between Punjab and Haryana. “This was never PU’s jurisdiction,” Ashmit said. “Haryana’s Chief Minister has twice written to the Home Ministry about representation. The Haryana Assembly Speaker has taken it up with the Vice-President. When the highest offices are dealing with the issue, what business does the University have forming its own committee?”

Amid the unrest, the university’s administration has been seeking clarity from Delhi on the timeline for the long-delayed Senate elections. Registrar Y P Verma and the Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor met the Vice-President on November 21, but no response has yet reached the campus.

BJP’s Tandon meets Vice-President, flags PU’s concerns

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Chandigarh BJP leader Sanjay Tandon on Monday met Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan in Puttaparthi during the centenary celebrations of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, holding a half-hour discussion centred on Panjab University.

Tandon conveyed the concerns of Chandigarh residents, PU staff and Senate members, and stressed the university’s potential to regain its standing as a premier global institution. He briefed the Vice President — the Chancellor of PU — on recent developments on campus.

Radhakrishnan assured him that the Centre remained committed to strengthening PU while being sensitive to all stakeholders. He said he would support measures aimed at enhancing the university’s stature and global competitiveness.

The two also discussed the retirement age for university faculty and staff. Tandon’s recommendations were “positively received”, with the Vice-President asking him to submit a detailed paper for further deliberation in New Delhi in the coming days.

Shruti Bedi is an intern with The Indian Express

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