Students were denied admission in PG courses due to controversy Manav Mander Ludhiana, August 5 After much speculations and assumptions, the accreditation of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has been renewed. Confirming this, the director-general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Tirlochan Mohapatra, said: “Recently, a meeting was held in this regard and the accreditation of PAU has been renewed. The notification has gone for printing regarding the same. PAU fulfils all conditions and there was no reason for not renewing the accreditation.” The issue of accreditation of PAU had become a cause of concern for many students after they were denied admission. Students, who had applied for PG courses last month, were refused admission and shown the door by the Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University (CSKHPAU), Palampur, as the accrediation process of PAU was still pending. In this context, Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyer HC Arora had also given a representation to the director-general of the ICAR against the renewal of accreditation of PAU. Arora had called upon the ICAR to revoke the accreditation granted to PAU and its affiliated colleges, or decline to renew such accreditation, as the case be, and if at all, such accreditation was to be renewed/ continued, it should be made conditional, subject to revocation of extension/appointment of BS Dhillon as the Vice-Chancellor with immediate effect, in his representation. Earlier, he had also made an appeal to the Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University-cum- Governor of Punjab, VP Badnore, against the proposed extension to Baldev Singh Dhillon. Dhillon’s term was extended for the third time on July 1. Vice-Chancellor’s extended term had become the centre of controversy in relation to renewal of accreditation of PAU. Dhillon had earlier said he was not at all worried about the accreditation issue and was very much confident that it would be renewed.

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