Vice President C P Radhakrishnan Approves Panjab University Senate Election Schedule After Year-Long Delay Amid Student Protests

Chandigarh: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, who is the chancellor of the Panjab University, on Thursday approved the schedule of its senate election, according to a communication from the vice president's secretariat.

The development comes amid vociferous protests by students demanding the announcement of the schedule for the senate poll that has not been held for more than a year.

According to the proposed schedule, the election will be conducted from September 7, 2026, to October 4, 2026.

"I am directed to convey that Hon'ble Vice-President of India and Chancellor Panjab University has approved the schedule of Senate Elections as proposed in the aforementioned letter," read the communication from the VP's secretariat to PU Vice Chancellor Renu Wig.

The university vice chancellor had earlier written to the chancellor, seeking approval for the senate poll schedule.

PU students, under the banner of Panjab University Bachao Morcha, have been protesting and pressing for a schedule for the election.

The initial phase of the protest was launched against the Centre's decision to restructure Panjab University's governing bodies -- the senate and the syndicate.

However, the Ministry of Education, on November 7, withdrew its October 28 notification for changing the constitution and composition of the bodies, following mounting pressure from various political leaders and protesting students.

The students, however, refused to end their agitation, pressing for the announcement of a schedule for the senate election.

Representatives of Panjab University students had earlier met the vice chancellor, who had stated that the senate poll schedule had been sent for approval to the chancellor -- the country's vice president.

Several political parties from Punjab, including the Aam Aadmi Party, the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Congress, as well as farmers' bodies such as the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), and the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha, had extended their support to the students' agitation.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and auto-generated from an agency feed.)