Centre May Reconsider Panjab University Senate Decision After Ashwani Sharma Leads Protests

November 4, 2025

Chandigarh: A major controversy has broken out after the Ministry of Education issued a notification on 28 October 2025 dramatically altering the governance structure of Panjab University (PU).

The decision has triggered widespread protests by students, teachers and political parties, who are demanding an immediate rollback of the changes.

Now, the key question being asked in political and academic circles is: Will the Centre take a U-turn?

New Amendments

Notably, under the new rules, the size of the university’s Senate has been slashed from around 90 members to just 31 — comprising 18 elected, 6 nominated and 7 ex-officio members. The graduate constituency, which allowed university graduates to vote for Senate members, has been abolished altogether.

The Syndicate, PU’s top executive body, has also been restructured: most of its seats will now be filled by nominated or ex-officio members, including bureaucrats from the Centre, Union Territory and the state.

University officials say this is the first time in decades that such sweeping changes have been introduced in PU’s governance system.

Campus Protests and Reactions

The move has sparked strong reactions across Punjab and Chandigarh. Students under the banner of Panjab University Bachao Morcha blocked Gate No. 2 of the Chandigarh campus for nearly five hours in protest.

The Democratic Teachers’ Front, a teachers’ group, described the notification as “anti-Punjab” and accused the Centre of stripping the university of its democratic rights.

Political Backlash

Political opposition has also mounted. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the Centre’s decision as “an insult to the federal structure,” accusing it of encroaching on Punjab’s rights.

“I strongly condemn the Centre’s decision to dissolve the Syndicate and Senate of the Panjab University … This is nothing short of an academic outrage against the people of Punjab, especially our academicians and students,” Badal said in a post on X.

The Punjab government, led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), termed the move “completely unconstitutional” and announced that it would challenge the decision legally.

The Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it was “evaluating the impact” of the notification and called for consultations with students, professors and other stakeholders. In a post on X, the Punjab BJP stated that the university’s interests must be safeguarded and promised discussions with all affected groups.

Senior BJP leader and former Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma has also criticised the restructuring.

He called it “an attempt to take control over the university and disturb its long-established democratic system.”

Sharma led rallies and protests, urging the central government to reconsider its decision and hold consultations with Punjab’s academic community.

He said the move “has hurt the sentiments of teachers, students, and alumni,” adding that “Panjab University is a symbol of Punjab’s academic pride and should not be run through bureaucratic control.”