15 in race for PU sports director’s post

Tribune News Service

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, April 24

Two deputy directors at the Directorate of Sports, Panjab University, a Joint Director Sports (JDS) in the UT Administration, some illustrious faculty of physical education from local and outstation (Himachal Pradesh and Punjab) colleges and principals of some Haryana colleges are among 15 persons who have applied for the post of the Director Sports, Panjab University.

Dr Sunil Rayat (JDS), Dr Dolly and Dr Rakesh Malik (deputy directors, sports, PU), Dr Gurcharan Singh Gill, Dr Sonia Kanwar, Dr Madeep Thor, Dr Manoj Kumar Dhadwal, Dr Sukhbir Singh, Dr Vivek Solanki, Dr Parvesh Sharma, Dr Rajesh Kumar, Dr Inder Singh Pal, Dr Ajit Singh, Dr Satish Kumar Bhardwaj and Dr Ram Niwas Yadav are among the applicants.

The university authorities are yet to notify the interview schedule. It is expected to be a tough fight considering the applicants’ experience in the field of sports.

“The interviews are likely to be called after the result of the Lok Sabha elections. The governing body of the university is likely to be dissolved by that time. However, many applicants have already started making a base for recommending their names for this post. Some are already known to be close to ministers in the Central Government, while some are openly canvassing for a political party, despite holding a chair in a government office. It’s definitely going to be a close fight,” said a source in the university.

Last month, after a gap of four years, the university had started proceedings to appoint a regular sports director. The post got vacant after the death of former Director Sports Dr Parminder Singh Ahluwalia in October 2020. The post has been looked after by the chairperson, Department of Physical Education as additional charge since his demise. During his tenure, the university had witnessed the return of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad trophy.

The applicants had expressed surprise while submitting their applications as the university asked to fulfil the teaching post criteria even as it’s a non-teaching post. However, Prof Yajvender Pal Verma, Registrar, PU, had cleared the air that the pro forma had various columns and no one was asked to fill all columns.

Eligibility criteria

As per the criteria, candidates having a PhD in physical education or sports or sports science along with an experience of at least 10 years in physical education and sports as university assistant, deputy DPE or 10 years as college DPE or teaching for 10 years in physical education and sports or sports science as assistant/associate professor will be eligible for the post. During the last recruitment in 2015, a total of four candidates were shortlisted for the post.

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