Panel to study Pbi varsity’s fiscal woes, submit report in a month

PATIALA:TAKING serious note of the alleged financial and administrative mismanagement at Punjabi University, the state government has formed a three-member highlevel committee to suggest measures to improve the functioning of the ‘beleaguered’ university.

The three members are additional chief secretary (revenue) Viswajeet Khanna; higher education secretary Rahul Bhandari and university vice-chancellor Prof BS Ghuman. According to budgetary proposals for this fiscal, the varsity expects an income of ₹380 crore, with expenditure at ₹676 crore, leaving a massive ₹296-crore deficit.

The committee’s mandate is to thoroughly work upon improving fiscal health of the university, which is presently in doldrums. Bhandari said the aim of the committee is to come up with measures for improvement of the varsity’s fiscal health .

The panel will suggest reviewing of courses and consequent rationalisation (including redeployment) of faculty within and across departments. Reforms in the working of constituent colleges, regional centres and neighbourhood campuses will also be suggested. It will also review the system of admission and examination and suggest suitable reform measures.