PU syndicate gives nod to abortion leaves for contractual employees - Hindustan Times
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PU syndicate gives nod to abortion leaves for contractual employees

By, Chandigarh
Aug 14, 2022 02:45 AM IST

PU syndicate on Saturday decided to grant abortion, miscarriage and adoption leaves to teaching and non-teaching female staff working on contractual and daily wage basis; final approval will be given by senate

The Panjab University (PU) syndicate in its meeting on Saturday decided to adopt the provision of granting abortion, miscarriage and adoption leaves to teaching and non-teaching female staff working on contractual and daily wage basis.

If approved by PU senate, the decision will benefit around 800 contractual staff, including guest faculty. (HT File Photo)
If approved by PU senate, the decision will benefit around 800 contractual staff, including guest faculty. (HT File Photo)

The decision will now be placed before the senate for final approval.

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While these benefits are already available to regular/permanent teaching and non-teaching employees, around 800 contractual female staff, including guest faculty, have been deprived of them.

However, child-care leave for the first two children is already provided across the board since 2017.

In 2019, a daily wage clerk working in PU’s examination branch had requested for child adoption leave, which was denied as there was no provision for it in the PU calendar.

To be implemented on campus first

If approved by the senate, for starters, the provision for abortion, miscarriage and adoption leaves will be implemented only on the campus, while for the affiliated colleges in Punjab, a decision will be taken after consulting the state government.

“The syndicate has decided to adopt it for the employees who are governed by the UGC rules. For those regulated by the Punjab service rules, the university will consult the Punjab government,” said a syndicate member.

Action to be taken against former professor

The inquiry report submitted by the varsity’s chief vigilance officer that had indicted former professor VK Chopra for falsely claiming to be a nominee of DPI (Colleges) during a college’s inspection in 2013 was also tabled in the meeting.

On this, the syndicate decided to form a committee to recommend action against him.

In the report submitted in 2018, the then chief vigilance officer had indicted Chopra, who retired from the department of evening studies, for going on an inspection at RSD College, Ferozepur, on June 14, 2013 without any authority and for falsely claiming to be a nominee of the DPI (Colleges), Punjab.

Standing committee report on misbehaviour complaint accepted

The syndicate accepted the report of the standing committee regarding the complaint made by former PUTA president Rajesh Gill regarding misbehaviour and delay in issuance of the utilisation certificate by former PU registrar Col GS Chadha.

As per the report, the committee after holding several meetings in 2018 had concluded that Chadha neither misbehaved with Gill nor delayed the clearing of the certificate.

Meanwhile, the agenda related to another complaint filed by Gill, alleging corruption by former vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Grover and Chadha in an e-rickshaw contract, was deferred by the syndicate.

This was the first meeting of the newly elected syndicate. The last meeting of the 15-member body was held in July 2020.

Though the one-year term of the last syndicate ended in December 2020, elections could not be held amid repeated delays in the senate polls due to the pandemic. The senate – PU’s apex governing body – was elected last year after a one-year delay. However, the syndicate elections could not be held, and its powers were delegated to the vice-chancellor.

After the constitution of the senate, syndicate polls were finally held in July.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Dar Ovais is a Chandigarh-based Hindustan Times correspondent who covers higher education.

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