V-C succumbs to PUTA pressure

PATIALA, Oct 28: Succumbing to pressure mounted by Punjabi University Teachers' Association not to take up certain items listed on the ag...

PATIALA, Oct 28: Succumbing to pressure mounted by Punjabi University Teachers8217; Association not to take up certain items listed on the agenda of the syndicate meeting held on October 26, Vice-Chancellor Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia withdrew several of these items.

According to reliable sources here, the university syndicate had on its agenda the issue of deciding on the action to be taken against four teachers. While two items each against two teachers were dropped at the meeting itself, action was also dropped against two other teachers.

Sources said Prof A.N. Sinha of Department of Religious Studies had been charged with not filing his appraisal report, which was a statutory requirement. The syndicate, taking a lenient view in view of the teacher being on verge of retirement, decided not to take any action against him.

Similarly, it also decided that no action be taken against Prof Himmat Singh, a Reader in the Department of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Studies, since he had already retired.

Two items each pertaining to action to be taken against Prof M.R. Garg, Reader in the Department of Law, and Prof Balkar Singh, were withdrawn from the agenda at the syndicate meeting itself.

Though the university has a Department of Public Relations, the proceedings of the syndicate meeting were not released to the Press. With the Vice-Chancellor being out of station, things could not be confirmed and no comment was available from him.

PUTA had written a letter to the Vice-Chancellor a day before the meeting that the items pertaining to punishment of teachers not be taken up.

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It had also demanded that the item pertaining to the merit promotion scheme not be taken up and scrapped from the agenda.

At the meeting, it was reportedly decided to constitute a committee to go into the matter threadbare and to have the report submitted by December 15. This syndicate sub-committee would have among others the DPI Colleges, Dean Academic Affairs and the Pro Vice-Chancellor as members.

The Vice-Chancellor is also reported to have withdrawn items relating to selections made on October 25 at the meeting itself.

The inclusion of these items in the agenda had kicked off a controversy, with the secretary to the Vice-Chancellor being blamed for having the items included in the agenda.

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Meanwhile, PUTA chief Dr Gurdeep Singh expressed happiness over the items being dropped from the agenda.