PU non-teaching staff protest against Senator

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 13

Coming out in support of a colleague, who was allegedly abused and manhandled by a Panjab University’s (PU) Senate member, the Panjab University Non-Teaching Employees Federation today protested at the Vice-Chancellor’s office.

Members of the federation demanded an apology from Senator Prof (Dr) Ajay Ranga, who reportedly used unparliamentary language while addressing superintendent Bhumi Singh at the Dean of University Instructions (DUI) office. The matter was resolved by a committee soon after the protest, citing ‘miscommunication’ as a reason for the argument between the two parties.

Bhumi Singh said two of Ranga’s research scholars at the UILS had visited the office of the DUI, inquiring about the examiners who had been shortlisted to check students’ PhD thesis. “The assertion of power and name-dropping was a constant in a conversation that transpired between the two parties,” said Bhumi Singh. He said: “When Ranga arrived at the DUI office, he asked me if I knew him, but I was only meeting him for the first time.” Singh shared: “He used derogatory language and tried to throw a glass tumbler at me. All this happened between 4 pm and 5 pm,” he shared.

Ranga, however, maintained that PhD thesis of his research scholars had been submitted months ago and were still unchecked even though the university rules state that the thesis should be checked in three months after submission. “In fact, we had given the list of examiners on the panel three times, but they were turned down for one reason or another. This time too, the university had objected to the same panel of examiners being submitted for two students,” he said. “I just went there to inquire about the issue, but when my department’s research scholars told me that Bhumi Singh abused them, I told Singh that it was a pity that people like him held such high posts,” he shared.

Deepak Kaushik, president, PU Non-Teaching Employees Federation, said: “We cannot disclose the names of examiners to people. As part of the process, concerned thesis supervisors recommend a panel of examiners, preferably six, which is forwarded to the Joint Research Board of the General Branch, that approves the panel and sends it to the Vice-Chancellor or the DUI for the final approval.”

Sources said soon after the tiff, Ranga asked the DUI to transfer Bhumi Singh and acting on his direction, the DUI wrote to the Registrar.

“That’s how things blew out of proportion and the union intervened,” the source said.

Ranga added: “The entire incident happened to maintain the dignity of the senior-most professor of the PU. Secondly, a woman was being harassed at the DUI office and students were being abused by him in his office. Now, when the matter was discussed in a committee, members reached the conclusion that it was a misunderstanding and the matter has been sorted out.”