Punjab University evening studies faculty members resign from PUTA

The PU authorities claimed that most of the students behind the April 11 violence belonged to the evening studies department. Vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Grover had earlier visited the department to check the presence of students during classes and later PU DUI asked them to submit a photocopy of attendance registers of the department students. The faculty of evening studies department took up the matter with PUTA for discussion in its executive committee meeting, which in turn had passed a resolution that university authorities should give a reason for seeking the information and if needed it should be sought through the department chairperson. (Representational)

A circular from the Panjab University Dean of University Instructions asking for a photocopy of attendance registers of evening studies department students on Friday led to the resignation of 22 faculty members from the Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA). The evening studies teachers said the department has been singled out after the April 11 violence and said the teachers’ body did not back them on their stand against the””unprecedente”” direction from the university authorities. Mohammad Khalid, a representative of the faculty, said: “The 22 regular faculty members who are members of PUTA have resigned from the body. They feel that they are being singled out by the university administration in submission of the attendance registers of the current session, which is unprecedented and has been done without citing any reason. The PUTA has not supported us. The PUTA leadership should have done more than what they actually did.”

The PU authorities claimed that most of the students behind the April 11 violence belonged to the evening studies department. Vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Grover had earlier visited the department to check the presence of students during classes and later PU DUI asked them to submit a photocopy of attendance registers of the department students. The faculty of evening studies department took up the matter with PUTA for discussion in its executive committee meeting, which in turn had passed a resolution that university authorities should give a reason for seeking the information and if needed it should be sought through the department chairperson.

“We passed the resolution that also said the matter should be resolved through dialogue and the faculty members accepted it. But, I do not know what happened yesterday (Thursday) that they all resigned on Friday. We may take up this matter in the executive council meeting of the body,” said PUTA president Promila Pathak. Though the teachers have resigned from PUTA, the teachers on Thursday had submitted the attendance of students as had been sought by the university administration.

A professor of the department said a perception is being made that only the students of the department are behind the protests that take place in the university. There should have been discussion on the issue if it exists, said the professor.