Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19

Former Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University Arun Kumar Grover has raised questions over the process of conducting senate elections for the lecturers and principals’ constituencies. He raised concerns over wrongdoings committed over the ‘democratic’ process of elections.

“The real matter is not even discussed and is kept out of the reach of common people. In 78 professional colleges, only 48 (out of 53 eligible voters) voted in the elections for the principals’ constituency and 789 teachers in 78 colleges voted amongst the lecturers’ constituency. A majority of the teachers in the professional colleges are not voters as approvals of their appointments had been delayed by the outgoing senate/syndicate. Among degree colleges of Punjab, only about half the principals are eligible voters. As regards the teachers, the total number of teachers eligible to vote was 2,423 and only 2,205 voted. More than three-fourths of the teachers in the Punjab colleges have no vote,” said Grover.

A majority of voters dead?

Grover further said a majority of the voters, registered for voting in the graduate constituency, are dead or unidentifiable. “In graduate constituency, nearly 85 per cent of voters are dead or unidentifiable as the electoral rolls have not been revised for the past 40-50 years. This is the state of democratic elections in PU, no one has any concern for genuine electoral reforms as the same senators want to return to the senate by whatever means,” said Grover.

These comments by the former Vice-Chancellor came at a time when voting for registered graduates, the biggest constituency of senate elections, was postponed. The voting was scheduled to be held on August 18. Soon after, the political parties took over the matter and started protesting against the authorities. According to a notice, 272 polling booths had to be set up in seven states and UTs — Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Uttrakhand and Delhi. Uttarakhand and Delhi had failed to give permission for the elections.