Centre withdraws notification related to Panjab University's senate-syndicate

According to the latest Gazette notification (S.O. 5022(E)) issued by the Ministry of Education's Department of Higher Education, the government has rescinded its previous order (S.O. 4933(E)) dated October 28, 2025.

The withdrawal has been made under the powers conferred by Section 72 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.

The earlier notification, which dealt with administrative powers related to Panjab University, had triggered a political and legal controversy, with the Punjab Government terming it "unconstitutional" and announcing its decision to challenge it in court.

The fresh notification, issued by Joint Secretary Rina Sonowal Kouli, clarifies that the earlier order published in the Gazette of India on October 30, 2025, now stands rescinded. The move is being seen as a significant step by the Centre to defuse tensions surrounding the governance of Panjab University and to address concerns raised by various stakeholders, including the state government and the academic community.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced that the state government will move to the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the Centre's notification dissolving the Senate and Syndicate of Panjab University, Chandigarh.

In a post on social media platform X, Mann termed the move "unconstitutional" and said that the Punjab government would form a panel of the country's top and specialist lawyers to strongly contest the matter in court. He added that the issue would also be raised in the upcoming session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to ensure that the state's position remains strong at the legislative level.

CM Mann said the state government would firmly oppose what he described as "high-handedness" in the functioning of the university.

The Chief Minister's reaction comes amid growing political and academic uproar over the Centre's decision to dissolve Panjab University's top governing bodies and replace them with nominated structures through an executive notification issued on October 28.

The notification, which amends the Panjab University Act, 1947, reduces the university's governing Senate from a 91-member body to 24, completely abolishing the graduates' constituency and replacing the elected Syndicate with a largely nominated structure. (ANI)