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Meeting of the Panjab University Syndicate held on 9.10.11

PRESS RELEASE

The wards of female employees will be treated at par with those of male colleagues in the granting of medical facilities, including reimbursement.

The decision to this effect was taken by the Panjab University Syndicate in its meeting held here today as the House unanimously accepted the recommendation of the G.K. Chatrath Committee that had been constituted by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. R.C. Sobti, to look into the longstanding demands of the female employees. In making its recommendations, the Committee took cognizance of Article 15 (1) and 15 (3) of the Constitution that respectively state: The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them; Nothing in this Article shall prevent the State from making any special provisions for women and children.

Panjab University has always stood for gender parity and female empowerment. It is pertinent to mention here that the Supreme Court of India had upheld another gender-sensitive step of the University when the latter had ruled, using Article 15 (3), that only women would be appointed as principals of Girls Colleges affiliated to Panjab Univeristy.

The House also unanimously accepted the recommendations of the G.K. Chatrath Committee regarding the revision in the rules/regulations governing leave encashment to teachers. Where earlier the earned leave at the credit of a teacher could not be accumulated beyond 180 days, it shall now be accumulated as prescribed by the Syndicate/Senate from time to time. Moreover, the term ‘employee’ has now been clearly defined to read as ‘teaching and non-teaching’.

Since there was a call for clarification by some members of the House regarding the recommendations of the Committee constituted to look into assigning weightages to be given under the Academic Performance Indicators (API), the Vice-Chancellor constituted a five-member Committee with a brief to give its recommendations within 24 hours in order that the ongoing selections/promotions should not be held up.   

DPR(MK)