Process is in place for Senate elections, voter lists are being prepared: PU VC

Panjab University will conduct Senate elections by the end of the month and launch new BSc courses in AI, Data Science, Machine Learning and Cyber Security from the next session. (File Photo)

The year 2025 was an eventful one for Panjab University (PU), with several protests on campus, as well as the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) election in September, and several honours for the 143-year-old institution. With that behind, Prof Renu Vig, Vice-Chancellor, PU, in an informal interaction Tuesday, shared how PU is looking forward to a year of academic excellence for its students, recruitment of new faculty, advanced facilities for its sportspersons, and new courses for PU-affiliated colleges, opening of a multi-purpose hall on campus.

“Our focus is on strengthening academic quality and aligning with industry requirements. The mental health of our students is a priority, and we have several initiatives like a Thought Lab, a mentor and mentee programme etc on the cards,” said Prof Vig.

The Centre’s October 28 notification restructuring Panjab University’s Senate and Syndicate faced severe criticism and opposition from students and various political parties. The protest turned into an indefinite sit-in outside the VC Office, demanding the restoration of the 91-member Senate. On November 7, the union Ministry of Education withdrew its notification to restructure the Senate and Syndicate. On November 9, PU initiated the process for Senate elections under the previous mode of Senate and submitted the detailed schedule for the forthcoming Senate elections to the Chancellor and Vice-President of India for approval.

“The process is clear and ongoing for the Senate elections, and notifications on it will be issued by the end of this month. We are preparing voter lists,” said Prof Vig. The budget for the elections is around three crore. The V-C said that PU’s financial position is secure and there are no financial issues, with budgets sanctioned by both the Punjab government and the Central government, with a post-matric scholarship of Rs 35 crore pending from the Punjab government.

Prof Vig expressed satisfaction with the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission and said that the issue of retirement age is pending with the High Court, with the retirement age of teachers in colleges being 65, and at PU it is 60. Prof Vig added that PU has adopted the UGC Regulation, 2018, in toto, and all affiliated colleges are legally bound to follow these regulations for appointments, promotions, pay fixation and all service matters.

The V-C added that the National Education Policy (NEP) emphasises regional languages. Therefore, most of PU’s exams are now conducted in three languages — Hindi, Punjabi, and English. Only two or three papers remain that need to be made trilingual. Apart from this, even if a student selects one medium but attempts the exam in another, it is still considered.

Proud of the achievements of PU sports persons at the state and national level, Prof Vig said that they are focused on encouraging students to excel in sports by giving them state-of-the-art facilities, recruitment of new coaches, facilitating their concerns, and also giving them options to take online and multiple exams, so that they can focus on sports.

Addressing the long-pending demand of new faculty, with regular sanctioned posts being 1,378 and currently 650 faculty working, Prof Vig said that 100 posts had been advertised, with the process of recruitment ongoing, and the focus on filling these posts. In sync with the National Education Policy, BSc in AI, Data Sciences, Machine Learning and Cyber Security will be started in all PU-affiliated colleges from the next session.

Prof Vig said that there are plans to open a research centre for textiles in Panipat, as well as a need for a Hall of Fame to highlight the rich history of PU, utilising old photographs and archival material. Soon, a brand-new 2,400-seater multipurpose hall will open its doors, with plans to extend the use of smart cards for students, initially as a pilot in one hostel, where the cards are already being used by teachers. Also, on the cards is making the parking on campus more structured and improving the safety and security systems on campus. With PU earning several accolades in 2025, like the publishing of around 2,400 papers, overall H-index stands at 272, rank 276 in the QS World University Rankings 2026, and 200 patents granted, Prof Vig believes that PU will shine brighter and move from strength to strength.