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Journalism of Courage
PANJAB UNIVERSITY Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover on Thursday said the university could increase the income slab for fee concession but would not take back its decision of fee hike. He assured the student leaders that he would take up with the UT Administration the police case registered in connection with the campus violence witnessed on April 11.
“The total rollback is not possible and the limitations have been explained to the students,” said Grover after a meeting of Core Committee of PU Senators and representatives of student groups. “The students have made suggestions to enhance various brackets in which the (fee) concessions were initially offered. More suggestions have come in on how the benefit of concessions can be extended to the income (groups) of up to Rs 7.5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh. We shall work it out that with the students.”
Sources said as the students raised the demand for withdrawal of police complaint against the students charged with the April 11 campus violence, former Chandigarh MP and Senator Pawan Kumar Bansal backed them and asked the varsity authorities to take up the matter with the UT Administration. “Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain in the meeting advised the university officials to take the help of Solicitor General of India regarding the issue and told them that the legal process could take time till some relief reaches the students,” said a source.
The meeting between student leaders and Core Committee of Senators comprising PU V-C, Satya Pal Jain, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Sanjay Tandon and others was also attended by the university Registrar, DUI and FDO. The committee has been constituted to meet the Punjab Chief Minister and HRD Minister to find a solution to the financial issues of the university .
Grover said the representatives of student groups raised concern about the students who “got trapped in the violence that occurred” on April 11 and asked the university to take steps to save their careers as exams were around the corner. “We have agreed to take proactive steps on behalf of the university to save careers of the students. University administration has been advised and I have accepted responsibility that I shall interact with the UT Administration so that the careers of students are saved. They should be enabled to write exams,” he said.
The V-C said the university would look into the plan submitted by the students to help the university increase its income from sources within the campus. The Campus Students Council submitted the plan for revenue generation of the university.
“We have asked for a special committee for revenue generation that will include people from outside who have an idea as to how to utilise the university space, like we could put solar panels on the roofs to generate electricity. It could prove to be a good source of income,” said Nishant Kaushal, president of the council.
However, the student representatives said that they were not satisfied with the response on fee hike from senators and PU administration. “They only supported us on the police case but there was no positive response on the demand for rollback of fee hike,” said the student leaders after the meeting.
Secretary of PU Campus Students Council Ashiq Mohammad said the protest against fee hike would continue as the increase in the fee hike was unjustified. “They cannot raise the fee in just one go. The solution has to ultimately come with the grant from Centre,” he said.
Arishdeep, a representative of Students for Society, said the increase in income slab is not a solution to the fee hike problem. “V-C said the rollback is not possible as the grant from Centre will only come when we show them the raise in fees,” he said. “When more students are covered under the fee concession, the income generation would still remain the same. Obviously the grant would again be stopped then,” he said.
ABVP says not invited
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has alleged that they were not invited to the meeting and they were being deliberately ignored by the university.
Suggestions from Campus Students Council
*Annual income slabs for fee concession must be reviewed
* Increase in number of seats in some courses and scholarships
* Request the alumni to sponsor university students
* Invite advertisements on e-rickshaws and barricades at the university
* Increase the rent of various guesthouses and shops
* Part-time jobs should be generated for students
* Expenditure of Senate and Syndicate meetings must be reduced
