Chandigarh, November 1: A major political storm erupted in Punjab on Friday after the Union Government announced sweeping changes to the structure of Panjab University, replacing its elected Senate and Syndicate with nominated bodies for the first time since 1966.
The restructuring, carried out under the Panjab University Act, 1947, reduces the Senate’s strength from 90 to 31 members, abolishes the graduate constituency, and inducts senior central and state officials — including the Chandigarh MP, UT Chief Secretary, and Education Secretary — as ex-officio members.
The Syndicate, the university’s top decision-making body, will now be headed by the Vice Chancellor and include nominees from both the Centre and the state, effectively ending the long-standing system of elections that had shaped Panjab University’s governance since its establishment in Lahore in 1882.
Officials described the change as a move from “political to academic control,” but opposition parties called it a “direct assault on Punjab’s autonomy.”
Former Education Minister Pargat Singh said the move was “part of a larger conspiracy by the RSS and the BJP to capture educational institutions.” He added, “This is unconstitutional. The Centre is trying to rewrite Punjab’s identity through its universities.”
According to the notification, two eminent alumni will now be nominated by the Chancellor, alongside six teachers from affiliated colleges, four principals, and two Punjab MLAs nominated by the Speaker. Members losing eligibility during their term will automatically vacate office.
A senior official said, “All elections of Ordinary Fellows will require the Chancellor’s approval. Each term will last four years.”
The Department of Higher Education, under the Union Ministry of Education, implemented the changes based on a 2021 committee report constituted by then Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. The report was recently approved by Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, who took charge as PU Chancellor in September.
Pargat Singh alleged that the AAP government’s silence indicated its “understanding” with the BJP. “Bhagwant Mann’s government has surrendered Punjab’s say in Panjab University just like it did in the Bhakra Beas Management Board,” he said, calling for a joint opposition front to resist the move.
The reconstitution marks the first complete overhaul of the university’s governance structure in 59 years and has triggered sharp debate over the Centre’s role in institutions historically linked to Punjab.
Read more: Centre ends 59-year-old system of PU elected Syndicate
