Punjab University is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the country, but recently it has not been operating up to the mark because of having to work without a Vice-Chancellor (VC) for more than two weeks and a Pro-VC for nearly four months.
The university’s staff, around 50,000 on-campus students, as well as the admission process for the four-year Bachelor of Science (BS) program, are suffering in the present circumstances, the News has reported.
The position of regular VC has been empty since June since the previous VC, Prof Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, completed his four-year tenure at that time.
Without an administrative head, permanent or temporary, to make important decisions, the institution is rapidly approaching disaster.
This crisis has slowed the institution to a virtual halt, with ever-rising and multiplying administrative, financial, and academic issues in the day-to-day operations of the university.
The university cannot convene meetings of its statutory organizations, such as the Syndicate, in the absence of a VC, and neither the Selection Board nor the Advanced Studies & Research Board (ASRB) can meet. Students are the eventual victims of the problem since even scholarships cannot be provided without the VC’s consent.
Likewise, university lecturers and staff have had difficulty receiving grants and NOCs, and the institution’s research programs have also suffered.
Academics believe that the government should demonstrate real initiative this time so that the institution may begin its admissions process and its academic calendar is not disrupted. On the other hand, those in charge appear to be as oblivious as ever to the situation of students, educators, and staff.
