Panjab University shut today, exams deferred: What is happening at PU?

Panjab University (PU) is observing a complete shutdown on Wednesday, November 26, as multiple student groups joined by farmers unions and civil groups announced a bandh of the varsity campus.

Examinations scheduled for the day have also been deferred.

The varsity announced that the examinations scheduled to take place on the campus on Wednesday have been postponed. Further, it said that all teaching, non-teaching and office activities will remain closed.

Panjab University students, under the banner of Panjab University Bachao Morcha, had called for a complete shutdown of the varsity on November 26, to press for a schedule for Senate polls.

The protests began after Centre's decision to restructure PU's governing bodies, the Senate and Syndicate. The Centre announced the dissolution of Panjab University's top governing bodies and replacing them with nominated structures. With increasing pressure, the Ministry of Education withdrew its notification.

Also read: Chandigarh: On bandh eve, PU's flip-flops end in deferred exams | Hindustan Times

However, the students refused to end their agitation, pressed for the announcement of a schedule for the Senate elections, which have not taken place for more than a year on the campus.

PU vice-chancellor, who met the students earlier, said that the poll schedule has been sent for approval to the Chancellor, who is the country's vice president. However, the students maintained that they will continue the protest till their demands are met.

After consultation with farmers' unions, the morcha announced a November 26 bandh after seeing no progress on their demands for a poll schedule. HT earlier reported that the morcha further warned PU that if it attempted to conduct examinations on Wednesday, the shutdown would involve the blockade of the admin block, examination centres and main gates.

Also read: Majority in students' council opposed to November 26 PU bandh call | Hindustan Times

Several political parties, including Aam Aadmi Party, Congress and farmers' bodies such as Samyukta Kisan Morcha, SKM (Non-Political) have expressed their support for the students' agitation.

The university issued a series of conflicting notices, finally announcing that the exams had been deferred. On Monday, it directed that the exams would be conducted as scheduled. On Tuesday, the university shifted its position and declared a holiday, followed by another notice announcing that the exams on campus had been shifted to DAV College.

Following this, the morcha leaders gathered at Gate number 2 and reiterated that they would not allow exams to be conducted.

Amid the mounting pressure from the morcha, university officials finally declared that the exams now stood postponed, with new dates to be announced later.

(With inputs from PTI)

Source: HindustanTimes
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