Has PUTA lost its relevance?

The Khaira and Atri factions have been pulling apart in opposite directions. Invariably, all the decisions announced by the PUTA chief are generally opposed by the Atri faction. The latest in the series is the reported statement issued by the PUTA chief on April 27 that the PUTA would intensify its ongoing agitation against the quot;victimisationquot; of the teaching and non-teaching staff.

It also said that the PUTA executive had decided to boycott all functions to be organised by the university at the instance of the Vice-Chancellor and would organise rallies during such functions.

The very next day, the Atri group issued a statement asserting that no such decision had been taken either at a meeting of the executive or the general body of PUTA.

Atri said that after October, 1998, despite repeated requisitions, no meeting of the general house was called by the PUTA chief. The only meeting scheduled to be held on December 9 was quot;unilaterally cancelled by Khaira in an unconstitutional manner without even consulting the PUTA executivequot;, he added. It was because of such unilateral activities that the majority of the PUTA executive members had dissociated themselves from the PUTA president, he said.

Democratic Teachers8217; Front convenor Dr Ranjit Singh Ghuman went a step further, alleging that Khaira was responsible for a senior teacher of the university being suspended during his tenure as head of the department and has constantly been acting against the continuation of ad hoc teachers in the service of the university.

In a similar statement, the Teachers8217; United Front alleged that a quot;microscopic group of disgruntled teachers has been spreading falsehood in pursuance of its personal agenda and spoiling the academic atmosphere of the universityquot;. It said no decision about the boycott of official functions was ever taken by any representative body of the teachers.

Puar8217;s term ends on May 15
Dr Joginder Singh Puar, Vice-Chancellor of the university, is scheduled to complete his second three-year term on May 15.

The six-year term of Dr Puar has proved to be a fruitful period for the university. While several new courses and new departments, including the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Fine Arts, were started during this period, the Department of Computer Sciences was revamped.

Several new schemes, like appraisal reports for members of the teaching faculty, increase in teaching hours and increase in revenue mobilisation, were also introduced during this period.

The printing and publication of books was one of the thrust areas of activity. Over 40 titles on Sikh philosophy and history were brought out recently on the occasion of the Khalsa tercentenary. The university has been earning a revenue of Rs 35 lakh per year on account of sale of books published by it.The university has signed an agreement with Ethiopia and a large number of Ethiopian students are now on the rolls of the university, helping it earn valuable foreign exchange.

The university also played host to a number of international events, including the Science Congress, International History Congress and the National Science Congress, during this period.