Row over decision to condone lectures

CHANDIGARH, May 24: The Punjab University authorities' emergent decision last Thursday evening to allow students whose lecture conditions...

CHANDIGARH, May 24: The Punjab University authorities8217; emergent decision last Thursday evening to allow students whose lecture conditions were not fulfilled to take the exams has snowballed into an unsavoury controversy which is likely to be taken up by members of the syndicate in tomorrow8217;s meeting.

A number of syndics and senators said that the meeting of local syndics at which the decision was taken was quot;unconstitutionalquot; since it was presided over by PU Registrar Prof Paramjit Singh against the provisions of the university calendar. They pointed out that the decision to allow students to take the exams was against the academic interest of the university and has sent wrong signals to the students who do not follow the rules. On the other hand, student leaders contend that when the respite came through, it was too late since most of the students8217; exams were either over or half-way through. Yet another segment of syndics stand by the decision.

The Punjab University syndicate had set a sub-committee comprising four members, Prof V. K. Bansal, Rajinder Deepa, Randeep Surjewala and Ashok Goyal, to look into cases of students who were short of lectures. After a number of cases were turned down by the committee, students, led jointly by D. P. S. Randhawa, Punjab University Campus Students Council president, and Neeraj Sharma, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad campus unit president, began a hunger strike on May 18 afternoon outside the Vice-Chancellor8217;s office to demand roll numbers for students whose candidature had been withheld because of shortage of lectures.

The leaders stated that over 200 students8217; roll numbers were withheld. Students alleged that there was discrimination in condoning lectures and while in some departments, the condition of 66 per cent lectures was enforced with strictness, other departments gave a go-by to the rules.

On the evening of May 20, in the absence of the university vice-chancellor, PU officials summoned a meeting of the sub-committee at 6.30 p.m. because the situation was volatile and one of the students8217; health was deteriorating. At 7.00 p.m., the Registrar asked the local syndics to meet in the PU. Five of them, including S. S. Gill, Prof V. K. Bansal, A. S. Bedi, A. R. Sidhu and Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh showed up.

quot;It was decided that the students be allowed provisional candidature at their own risk till May 25, subject to approval of the sub-committee or the syndicate. Nobody was issued roll numbers,quot; Prof Paramjit Singh said.

Syndic R. N. Sharma described the move as unacademic. The meeting, remarked senator Charanjit Chawla, quot;was unconstitutional because the Registrar cannot chair the meeting of the syndicate, it is either the V-C or, in his absence, a member of the syndicate. Besides, the message to the students who are regular is that there is no use attending the classes because there is always a back door.quot; The Registrar, however, said: quot;I had requested the syndics to elect a chairman but they refused saying it did not matter.quot;

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Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh, who was one of the five members present, stated that though the meeting could have been wrong on technical grounds, it was convened quot;to avoid an ugly situation.quot;

Among the sub-committee members, while Prof Bansal said that the decision was taken to avoid students8217; violence, Ashok Goyal remarked that the decision had made a quot;mockery of the system because the cases were reviewed twice.quot; Rajinder Deepa added that the decision had been taken under pressure and had set a wrong precedent. The two pointed out that in four or five meetings held in April and earlier this month, the sub-committee examined 42 cases, of which 28 were turned down after another review.

quot;We had been very liberal and considerate but if in the future, students who have failed an exam gather and hold a fast outside the V-C8217;s office, will we give them pass marks?quot; Deepa reasoned.

Several syndics say the issue is likely to generate heat in tomorrow8217;s syndicate meeting, with members holding opposing views coming face to face and holding on to their views. The fate of the students who were granted provisional candidature will be decided in the meeting.