President Rejects Punjab Bill to Replace Governor with Chief Minister as University Chancellor

A bill proposed by Punjab to replace the state governor with the chief minister as chancellor of state-run universities has been returned by the President without her assent, according to official sources on Wednesday.

The Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, alongside three other bills, was initially passed during the Punjab Assembly's two-day session in June last year. However, the governor had previously labeled the session as 'patently illegal.' Later, in November, the Supreme Court ruled the session constitutionally valid and directed the Punjab governor to make decisions on the passed Bills.

The proposed bill aimed at altering the chancellor's position saw Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit reserving it, along with two others, for the President's reconsideration in line with Article 200 of the Constitution of India.

This return of the bill without assent has deepened the existing rift between the governor and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, especially over vice chancellor appointments. Punjab BJP leader Subhash Sharma praised the President’s decision, asserting it exposes unconstitutional actions by the Chief Minister.

Furthermore, the enacted Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Amendment Bill, 2023, focuses on streamlining the functional workings of the Punjab Educational Tribunal concerning government-aided private colleges.

(With inputs from agencies.)