Shortage of academician’s in Punjab? State universities working without regular vice chancellors, registrars
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
Punjab- a land of Guru’s, saints has produced many renowned academicians in the past, is now facing a peculiar situation- shortage of vice chancellors, registrars in its state universities.
At present 4 state universities are without regular vice chancellors and state universities are where registrar charge is given to IAS or have no registrar
The worst situation arises in Punjab’s first technical university-IKG Punjab Technical University where the post of vice chancellor and registrar are vacant. The Vice Chancellor of IKG-PTU Dr Ajay Kumar Sharma’s term had expired in May last year and the govt fails to appoint any vice chancellor, in time. Now a days, the charge of vice chancellor IKG-PTU is with Vikas Garg, IAS . The university is also without regular registrar, since 2012. The govt had given the additional charge of registrar to Jaspreet Singh, IAS, last year. But few days ago the post fall vacant again after the state government appointed Jaspreet Singh as deputy commissioner.This has hampered the admission process
The post of vice chancellor Punjab agriculture University, Ludhiana which is one of India’ s renowned university is still vacant.The post fall vacant after Dr BS Dhillon term ended on June 30,2021
The newly-upgraded technical universities — Shaheed Bhagat Singh Technical University at Ferozepur is also functioning without a regular V-C. Earlier this is Punjab government engineering college. The charge of Ferozepur varsity is with Dr Buta Singh, the V-C of MRS PTU, Bathinda. Even the post of registrar is also vacant.
Another university Sri Guru Teg Bhadaur University of Law at Tarn Taran is also without regular vice chancellor and registrar, since its inception, last year. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar vice chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh is holding the charge of this university. GNDU registrar is also the registrar of this university. The said university was established last year while celebrating the 400th Parkash Purab of Guru Teg Bhadur ji.
Almost all the universities in Punjab don’t have a regular Registrar. The university gave the additional charge of Registrar, to a university professor on temporary basis, to avoid regular appointment .
Last but not the least, the additional charge of registrar of state’s only medical university Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot has been given to Nirmal Ouseppachan IAS
“As per the normal procedure, whenever a university is announced or set-up, the first thing the government does is appointing a regular V-C, registrar so that he can create the infrastructure on the campus and takes other decisions as per the requirement. The post of registrar is equally important in any university. It’s strange that the govt is giving the charge of registrar to bureaucrats. ADC or SDM is a public dealing post where the officer has to remain available for the administration, government, public, all the time. How can they perform dedicatedly on these key positions? All these universities are professional universities and is hampering the progress of the university” said a university professor.
Shortage of academician’s in Punjab? State universities working without vice chancellors, registrars .When contacted the state education minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, his number remained switched off.
April 3,2022
