Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19

A webinar was organised by the Chandigarh Dialogue today under the New Education Policy-2020 on governance reform at Panjab University (PU). More than 70 teachers from various departments of the PU participated in the webinar. Former Vice-Chancellors Arun Kumar Grover and Prof KN Pathak were the key speakers on the occasion.

Grover gave information about the functioning of the PU from its inception to the present day and its administrative structure. He said reforms in the Senate and Syndicate were a must at this time. Senate and Syndicate were formed for the interest of the university, he added. For the last few years this system had become undemocratic and factionalism was dominating university, he said.

He further alleged that the PU’s administrative officers were forced to become silent spectators in Senate and Syndicate. “This current system of Senate and Syndicate is becoming a hindrance in improving the academic and administrative quality of the university. This is the right time for comprehensive reforms through the new National Education Policy,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pathak said the system of Senate and Syndicate was made for educational and administrative reforms in the university, but its relevance has declined over the time.

“In view of the present circumstances, it needs reforms and people engaged in the field of education. In different faculties, only the scholar of the subject concerned should be made its dean,” he added.

Besides, Dr Vinay Sofat, president, College Teachers’ Association, said the existing system of Senate and Syndicate had become a den of corruption.

Dr Suman Mor, Dr Priyatosh and Vikrant Khandelwal also expressed their views on the shortcomings in the current system of the Senate.