Historic Move on Punjab Day: Centre Dissolves 59-Year-Old Senate & Syndicate of Panjab University
Babushahi Network
Chandigarh, November 1, 2025:
In a landmark decision coinciding with Punjab Day, the Central Government has dissolved the 59-year-old Senate and Syndicate of Panjab University (PU) and approved a complete restructuring of the two highest governing bodies — a reform that ends their elected status and makes the Syndicate a fully nominated entity.
Established in Lahore in 1882 and reconstituted in Chandigarh on November 1, 1966, the 142-year-old university will now operate under a new governance model that shifts the focus from political representation to academic administration.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Education, Department of Higher Education, the reforms, enacted under the Panjab University Act, 1947 (East Punjab Act 7 of 1947), abolish the Graduate Constituency and reduce the Senate’s strength from 90 to 31 members — comprising 18 elected, 6 nominated, and 7 ex-officio members.
For the first time, the Chandigarh MP, UT Chief Secretary, and Education Secretary have been made ex-officio members, alongside senior Punjab officials.
Under the revised structure, the Ordinary Fellows will now number up to 24, including:
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Two eminent PU alumni nominated by the Chancellor
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Two professors (one each from Arts and Science) elected by the university faculty
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Two associate/assistant professors elected similarly
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Four principals of affiliated colleges
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Six teachers from affiliated institutions
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Two MLAs from Punjab nominated by the Speaker (holding a university degree)
The Chancellor will approve all elections of Ordinary Fellows, each serving a four-year term. Vacancies may be refilled by renomination, but loss of qualification will automatically end membership. Any dispute on eligibility will be decided by the Vice Chancellor, while Section 14 of the original Act has been omitted in the amended statute.
Restructured Syndicate: From Elected to Nominated Governance
The university’s executive authority will continue to rest with the Syndicate, but with a radically new composition. It will now include:
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The Vice Chancellor as Chairperson
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Secretaries of Higher Education (GoI, Punjab, and UT) or their nominees
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Directors of Public Instruction (Punjab & Chandigarh)
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One Senate member nominated by the Chancellor
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Ten members nominated by the VC on rotational seniority basis — including Deans, university and college professors, associate/assistant professors, and other teaching representatives
Ex-officio members of the new Syndicate include the Chief Minister of Punjab, Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court, Punjab Education Minister, UT Chief Secretary, Punjab Higher Education Secretary, UT Education Secretary, and the Chandigarh MP — making it a high-powered decision-making body with direct state and UT representation.
The Syndicate has also been empowered to delegate its executive powers to the Vice Chancellor, subcommittees, or other university authorities as per regulations.
Based on 2021 Reform Committee Recommendations
These sweeping reforms stem from recommendations of a special committee constituted in 2021 by then Vice President and PU Chancellor M. Venkaiah Naidu, which included the Vice Chancellors of PU, GNDU (Amritsar), and CUP (Bathinda), along with former MP and long-time Senate member Satya Pal Jain. The panel’s 2022 report formed the basis for this restructuring, which was approved after Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan reviewed it this year.
The tenure of the previous PU Senate expired on October 31, 2024, and its reconstitution was pending. The Centre’s approval now marks a new governance era for Panjab University, ending six decades of electoral representation and ushering in a more centralized administrative model.