Chandigarh: PU students with PMS dues will not be given roll number

From this year, Scheduled Caste students of Chandigarh’s Panjab University who are claiming the Post Matric Scholarship will have to submit an undertaking to the head of department to ensure they will pay the fees

Scheduled Caste (SC) students of Panjab University (PU) claiming the Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) will be allowed to sit for exams only if they clear their dues. A notice regarding the decision has been sent to all departments, regional centres and principals of constituent colleges of the varsity.

The Scheduled Caste students of Chandigarh’s Panjab University who are claiming the Post Matric Scholarship have to now submit an undertaking agreeing to deposit the fee within 10 days of receiving the amount in their accounts through direct benefit transfer (DBT). (HT Photo)

As per the notice issued by dean of university instruction (DUI) for monitoring the rationalisation of fee from the students covered under the PMS scheme.

PU’s finance department has already been issuing instructions to monitor the realisation of dues from these students. From this year, students have to submit an undertaking to the head of department to ensure they will pay the fees. However, it is observed that it is not complied with properly.

It has been clarified that all heads of the departments have to take these undertakings from the students before exams commence in each semester and the roll number for the exams will only be released after the undertaking is submitted in the prescribed format.

A copy of every such undertaking must be forwarded to the co-ordinator of the PU SC/ST cell for verification. In case any department issues roll number without obtaining the prescribed undertaking, then it shall be the personal responsibility of the concerned head of the department for delay in realisation of due fee from such student.

As per officials, only around 10% of the students have settled the complete dues under PMS scheme ever since the 2018-2019 session after the Punjab government had started a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to credit the scholarship amount. Punjab government owes PU ₹21 crore for the dues under this scheme before the start of the said session, and owes additional ₹15 crore to the varsity as dues after the 2018-2019 session. The issue is only with PMS scheme students from Punjab as those from other states have settled their dues as per officials.

Students have to now submit an undertaking agreeing to deposit the fee within 10 days of receiving the amount in their accounts through direct benefit transfer (DBT). As per officials, admissions will be put on hold for students from academic sessions 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, who have not yet deposited their fee.