Contest, Courage, Controversy: Punjabi University Teachers head to the polls
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ March 24,2026
After more than a year, the Punjabi University campus is set to celebrate the “Festival of Democracy” as elections for its Teachers’ Association are scheduled to take place.
This year, the contest is triangular, with three main groups in the fray: the Progressive Teachers’ Front (PTF), the Punjab Teachers’ Association (PTA), and the Teachers’ Association for Growth and Transformation (TAGT).
In a notable development, a university faculty member, Nishan Singh Deol, is contesting for the post of President. The university authorities have initiated disciplinary action against Dr. Deol, a professor in the Department of Physical Education, following internal and departmental inquiries. He is accused of preparing fake reports to enable two PhD students to receive scholarships and salaries from multiple sources, thereby defrauding the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other government institutions. The Punjabi University Syndicate unanimously had imposed a penalty on Dr. Nishan Singh Deol under the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970. The punishment includes withholding one increment (with cumulative effect).
On the other hand, Dr. Monica Chawla, a Professor in the Department of Law, is contesting for the post of President, while Dr. Nimmi, an Assistant Professor at the Punjab School of Law, is in the fray for the post of Secretary. Both candidates are contesting under the banner of TAGT. They are known for their courage on campus and have openly raised their voices against incidents of sexual harassment. They had accused the present and outgoing PUTA President, Bhupinder Singh Virk, and the former Registrar, Varinder Kaushik, in connection with their complaints.
The third front, PTA, has fielded Gurnam Singh Virk as its candidate for the post of President. He is backed by the outgoing President, Bhupinder Singh Virk, and his team.
