Panjab University will finally head to Senate elections next year, with the Centre approving the complete poll schedule after the delay of almost a year and continuous protests by students and other groups.
The move comes days after the Vice-President of India and PU Chancellor CP Radhakrishnan approving the Senate election proposal sent by the university.
According to the approved plan, the election process will begin in January 2026, when the first notification is issued. This will formally kick off the long-pending exercise to elect members to the university’s top governing body.
The detailed schedule shows that voting will take place in multiple phases throughout 2026. Elections for principals and staff of professional colleges will be held on September 7, 2026, followed by polls for teachers’ constituencies on September 14.
A major round of voting is scheduled for September 20, 2026, when heads and faculty of affiliated arts colleges and the Registered Graduate Constituency will go to the polls. Counting for these constituencies is set for September 22.
The final phase of the election — for various faculties on the PU campus — will be conducted on October 4, 2026.
The release of the schedule marks a significant moment for Panjab University, where the Senate has remained vacant since October 31, 2024, after the Centre dissolved the previous body before a new one could be elected.
The long delay had sparked strong criticism and a 25-day sit-in by the PU Chandigarh Bachao Morcha, which demanded immediate restoration of the university’s democratic structure.
Following the approval, student groups have welcomed the announcement, calling it a clear outcome of sustained pressure and collective protest. The elections, they say, will restore normal functioning and decision-making at one of the region’s most important institutions.