Two PBI varsity professors debarred for unbecoming behaviour’

Though there has been no official word about the development from the university authorities, inquiries made by The Indian Express revealed that the syndicate had approved a report submitted by a sub-committee of the syndicate which had recommended debarring of the two teachers for their alleged unbecoming behaviour at a meeting of the selection committee for the selection of lecturers.

Earlier, the university authorities had set up a one-member committee headed by a retired professor of the Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr K.S. Chhabra, to inquire into the allegations against Dr Gurdeep Singh and Dr M.S. Bedi that they left the meeting held on February 24, 1997, without the permission of the chairman of the committee.

The two professors had got stay against any administrative action against them from a local court on January 23, the day a meeting of the university syndicate was scheduled to be held. However, the stay was vacated by the court on February 25.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Joginder Singh Puar was not available for comments as he was said to be out of station and senior functionaries of the university preferred to remain silent on the matter.

According to available information, the university authorities summoned Dr K.C. Singhal from his residence late in the evening and asked him to take over as head of the Department of Business Management with immediate effect in view of the syndicate decision. Dr M.S. Bedi, one of the affected professors, talking to ENS described the developments as unfortunate and maintained that the charges were false and flimsy. He said he was suffering from chronic asthma and he had gone out of the said meeting to call one of his colleagues in the department to have his inhaler delivered to him in the office of the Vice-Chancellor, where the meeting was in progress.

Dr Gurdeep Singh, the other affected professor, was not available for comments. He was scheduled to lay down office as head of the department on April 14 and Dr M.S. Bedi was to take over as head on that day.