Chandigarh: Vice-President’s exit deepens Panjab University’s senate poll uncertainty

Panjab University (PU) in Chandigarh is facing more delays in holding its long-pending senate elections. The elections, which have already been delayed by eight months, now face another setback due to the sudden resignation of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who also served as the Chancellor of the University.

The term of the PU Senate, the top decision-making body of the university, ended on October 31, 2024. Since then, the university has been operating without the elected senate. As per PU rules, the election schedule must be approved by the Chancellor before it is officially announced. With Dhankhar stepping down from his post, the Vice-President's position—and therefore the Chancellor's seat—is now vacant, creating more uncertainty.

PU officials said that they had submitted the proposed election schedule to the Chancellor’s office at least four times over the past eight months, but it was never approved. Now, they will have to wait until a new Vice-President is elected to move forward.

A senior PU official said, “The rule requiring the Chancellor's approval still applies. So until a new Vice-President is in place, the election schedule cannot be finalised.”

Protests, delays, and workarounds

Former senator I.S. Sidhu, who had earlier protested against the election delay, said that they would wait for the appointment of the next Vice-President before pushing again for elections. “On October 31, it will be a year since PU has been functioning without a senate. We are hopeful the elections will be held before that,” he said. However, if the next Vice-President also fails to act, fresh protests could be launched.

Several key moments have marked this long delay. In May 2024, senators raised the issue of finalising the election schedule, as 90 days’ notice was required before holding the vote. But by October 22, no plan had been approved, leading to widespread protests. Many political leaders, including AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang, Congress MP Manish Tewari, and SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema, joined the protesters between October and December 2024.

In December, during the Vice-President’s visit for PU’s Global Alumni Meet, students burned his effigy. The protest also saw a police case (FIR) being filed when students tried to surround the event attended by the Punjab Chief Minister.

ALSO READ: Poor oral hygiene may lead to heart problems, experts warn

ALSO READ: Is voter roll cleanup fair or targeting eastern Bihar?

Despite the absence of a functioning senate, PU has found temporary solutions to continue working. In February 2024, the outgoing senate gave powers of the syndicate to the Vice-Chancellor, and assigned the duties of elected deans to the Dean of University Instruction (DUI). This allowed the university to take major decisions like introducing menstrual leave for female students and proposing OBC reservation in faculty hiring—though these are pending formal approval from the future senate.

PU remembers Dhankhar’s contributions

Even as his resignation caused administrative delays, PU officials remembered Jagdeep Dhankhar for his active involvement in university matters. Vice-Chancellor Renu Vig said Dhankhar had always supported the university. She especially praised his efforts in helping PU receive a ₹281-crore grant from the central government, most of which was used to clear ₹175 crore in pending arrears for staff under the Seventh Pay Commission.

Dhankhar attended PU’s convocations in 2023 and 2024 and the Global Alumni Meets held from 2022 to 2024. His first visit to the PU campus was in November 2022, which also marked his first visit to Chandigarh after becoming Vice-President.

PU Registrar Y.P. Verma said Dhankhar often expressed disappointment at the low contribution from PU’s vast alumni network. However, his regular presence and personal efforts helped increase donations to the university in recent years.

A former senator added that Dhankhar was more active than his predecessors in engaging with PU’s functioning. “His visits and support brought both visibility and funding,” the senator said.

Now, with his departure, the university waits for a new Vice-President who can clear the way for long-overdue senate elections and restore PU’s full democratic structure. Until then, PU continues to operate with interim arrangements.