Punjab University syndicate appoints chief for new panel in sexual harassment case

The MHRD in its letter has stated that the person heading the committee should be an outsider and not from the University

panjab university, panjab university syndicate, PU chandigarh, MHRD, chandigarh news, education news

A special senate meeting shall be convened only for this item on Sunday, January 29, 2017.

The Panjab University (PU) syndicate today appointed retired Haryana Chief Secretary Meenakshi Anand as the chairman of the new committee on the sexual harassment case against Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover. A special senate has also been called on January 29 to approve the names in the committee.

Other names in the committee are senate member professor Pam Rajput, Devi Sirohi, Chairperson, Chandigarh Commission for Child Rights (CCPCR), Principal Anita Kaushal, Post Graduate College for Girls Sector 11, retired IPS officer Gurjot Singh Malhi and retired Justice Harbans Lal. The members were also of the view that the committee should comprise a higher number of women.

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As a follow-up of the directive received from MHRD, a new committee to look into a specific complaint by a senator against the Vice-Chancellor has been constituted by the syndicate. The approval for this committee shall be placed before the senate.

The decision to form a fresh committee comes after the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), had written a letter to the Panjab University asking them to dissolve the existing PUCASH committee. The MHRD in its letter has stated that the person heading the committee should be an outsider and not from the University. Furthermore, the committee will have to submit the report within 90 days.

A special senate meeting shall be convened only for this item on Sunday, January 29, 2017. Among other issues, the syndicate members did not approve the steep rise in tuition fee hike from the next session and asked the VC to take it up in the senate for discussion and only after doing so to take it up in the syndicate.

The Vice Chancellor has been authorized to constitute all the standing committees of Panjab University, including two nominees on behalf of the syndicate to the board of finance.