Punjab University Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor Jagdeep Dhankhar said that reforms are essential for the university’s senate.
He also assured that elections would be held soon and that formal notifications would be issued promptly.
The Vice President made these remarks during a meeting with Punjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) President Anurag Dalal in New Delhi on Friday.
The term of the university’s governing body, the Senate, expires on October 31, but elections for it have not yet been announced.
Student groups have been protesting in front of the vice president’s office for more than two months, demanding an immediate vote.
They were occasionally joined by a number of elected representatives and political leaders from Punjab and Chandigarh.
Dalal, who made history as the first independent union president, raised important concerns regarding the Senate elections, university infrastructure and staff issues.
Additionally, the discussion addressed pressing issues such as laboratory equipment, parking space, classroom conditions, and much-needed funding for infrastructure improvements.
On the long-standing issue of professorial arrears, Dalal highlighted the concerns of the Punjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) and Vice President Dhankhar expressed determination to address these issues quickly.
“He promised to submit a letter to the University Grants Commission (UGC) regarding the outstanding arrears issue,” Dalal said.
During the meeting, Dalal also raised the issue of farmers’ protests and the deadly fast of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal at the Kanauli border since November 26.
“During our conversation, the Vice-President expressed deep concern about Mr. Dallewal’s health condition,” the PU student body president said.
The Vice President congratulated Mr. Dalal on his election victory and expressed his pride in the agricultural student’s success, noting that Mr. Dalal’s achievements reflect the aspirations of many people in the community.
Dalal’s meeting with the vice-chancellor marks a significant moment as he becomes the first student union president to interact directly with the president of Panjab University in Delhi to address the concerns of both students and the university.
