Key matters await new Pbi varsity VC

Ravneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 24

As the new Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Prof Arvind, is expected to join office any day, a number of challenges await his arrival, including decisions to be made with respect to various pending matters and the prevailing politics among the teaching and non-teaching staff on the campus.

While teachers are holding protests to press for their demands, insiders say: “The teachers on the campus are divided in factions. They hold protests to pressurise the authorities in order to avail themselves of various benefits, including getting posts meant for non-teaching officials. The non-teaching officials, on the other hand, await allocation of charge.”

The PUTA president, Dr Nishan Singh Deol, said: “The teachers on the campus are all united and they are excited that the government has deputed a talented Vice-Chancellor. Also, the teachers had recently resigned from their posts in protest which shows there are no such interests.”

A non-teaching class-A official said: “The university has been allocating non-teaching posts to teaching staff for a long time. The deserving non-teaching members are left out despite the fact that the posts of registrar, finance officer, director planning and monitoring, controller of examinations and others are meant to be allocated to non-teaching officials.”

He added: “If allocated as per the protocol, it will put an end to the growing politics on the campus.”

Meanwhile, the teaching fraternity has their own expectations.

“Many teachers at the university are awaiting promotions. The new Vice-Chancellor is expected to complete the long-pending process of promotion in the interest of teachers and students who wish to begin research work. The teachers have to protest for the fulfilment of these demands. Also, with his arrival, the university should get allocation of more funds for research work,” a teaching official said.

The university has also been sitting on various probes pending for years. While investigations have been completed in relation to various purchases and recruitments, there has been no action with respect to the alleged scams.