Punjab govt proposes one year extension to two Vice-Chancellors; Guv cuts it short by half

The government had proposed one-year extension to both the V-Cs, who were appointed to the post by then chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

Governor Banwarilal Purohit, while citing UGC norms, told the government to initiate the process of finding a new V-C. (File photo)

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Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit has cut down by half the extension proposed by the state government to Vice-Chancellors of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) and Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University, Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu and Dr Karamjeet Singh, respectively.

While Dr Sandhu completed his second term in June this year, Dr Karamjeet will complete his term in September.
The government had proposed one-year extension to both the V-Cs, who were appointed to the post by then chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh. However, the Governor, while citing UGC norms, told the government to initiate the process of finding a new V-C.

Sources said he has also told the government that the process of selecting a new person for the post should be initiated well before the term of the incumbent V-C comes to an end. He also stated that he was giving them six months extension keeping in view the future of students.

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Dr Sandhu was appointed V-C by the Congress government in June 2017 for a term of three years. In June 2020, he was given an extension of three years. The fresh extension sought by the AAP government will be Dr Sandhu’s second on the post. Dr Karamjeet was appointed V-C in September 2020.

Sources said that Higher Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains had recommended an extension of three years for Dr Sandhu. But Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann shot down the proposal and sent a case for an extension of one year only, which was further reduced to six months by the Governor.

This is not the first time that the governor, who is also the chancellor of Punjab universities, has intervened in the matter. Governor Purohit had also shot down the government’s proposal of appointing Dr G S Wander as the V-C of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences last year. He had sought a panel of three experts.

After this, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state had recently tabled a Bill in Vidhan Sabha to remove the governor as the Chancellor of universities in a recent special Vidhan Sabha session. But the Governor has not given his assent to the Bill yet. Purohit has said that the special session is breach of law. A tussle between the AAP government and the Raj Bhavan has been going on various issues, including the holding of a two-day assembly session in June.

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The Punjab assembly during the special session had passed four bills, including the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which is for replacing the governor with the chief minister as the chancellor of state-run universities.

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