At Punjabi University, Patiala, old questions have returned with new life. Files that once gathered dust are moving again from office to office, from Patiala to Chandigarh. They carry complaints, clarifications, and cautious replies. “Punjab’s University Inquiry”

According to documents reviewed by Samvad Patar, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has received a series of complaints concerning appointments and administrative decisions made during the previous ADMINISTRATION at the university.
The papers don’t speak of guilt.
They ask for clarity about eligibility, recruitment, and how public money was used.

And behind those papers stands one familiar name: Dr Piara Lal Garg.

The man who didn’t stop asking

Dr Garg isn’t a faculty member of Punjabi University.
He once served as Registrar of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences and today works as a social activist and ambassador of Punjabi and Punjabiyat.
He is known for his quiet persistence a man who believes in writing letters along with slogans.

From the very first day of the former vice-chancellor’s appointment was announced, Dr Garg began to raise objections.
He questioned whether the selection met the eligibility standards defined by the UGC.
His letters went to multiple departments and directly to the vigilance authorities.

A series of sealed letters, internal notes, and vigilance complaints have finally cracked open one of Punjab’s most sensitive academic stories.
It began not with whispers, but with documents, official correspondence showing how Dr. Arvind’s eligibility and financial conduct are now under multi-layer scrutiny by both Government of India and the Department of Higher Education, Punjab.

At the center of this storm are two contrasting figures:-
👉 Dr. Arvind, accused of manipulating his way through eligibility and appointments, and
👉 Dr. Piara Lal Garg, a former Registrar of Baba Farid University and an unwavering Punjabi academic activist who refused to stay silent.

SECTION I – The Complaint that Shook the System

Dr. Piara Lal Garg’s vigilance complaint to the Punjab Government wasn’t a routine letter it was a 40-page charge sheet, armed with annexures, ministry references, and audit observations.
In his own words:

“Dr. Arvind assumed the office of Vice-Chancellor without meeting the minimum qualifications prescribed by the University Grants Commission — a clear case of deception and misuse of authority.”

Dr. Garg accused Dr. Arvind of:

  • Holding the Vice-Chancellor post without fulfilling UGC’s 10-year professor experience rule,
  • Making conflicted self-approvals at IISER Mohali,
  • Approving his and his wife’s appointments as regular staff despite being on contract,
  • Manipulating salary arrears and promotions against Supreme Court guidelines (Uma Devi judgment), and
  • Concealing these irregularities under administrative cover.

SECTION II – The Scrutiny Committee Trail

The attached Ministry of Education documents, including letters dated 19 February 2021 and the Scrutiny Committee Report (24 March 2021)  reveal that the Government of India’s own committee had already flagged major irregularities in Dr. Arvind’s appointment as Associate Professor and Professor at IISER Mohali.

Key findings from the three-member committee, chaired by Dr. Srivam Chandrasekhar (Director, IICT Hyderabad), include:

  • Dr. Arvind’s experience as a Lecturer at Guru Nanak Dev University did not qualify for the 3 year “Assistant Professor” level requirement.
  • His Carnegie Mellon University stint was excluded due to lack of pay-scale equivalence.
  • His total valid experience was only 2 years and 4 months, short of the 3-year minimum.
  • The committee explicitly stated:

“The Committee did not recommend any relaxation in the experience criteria.”

(Attached documents show signatures of Anil Kumar, Dr. Jagdeep Singh, and Dr. Chandrasekhar confirming this.)

SECTION III – The Punjab Connection: When ISSER Meets Patiala

Fast-forward to 2021–2023. Despite the pending scrutiny and audit objections, Dr. Arvind became Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala.
Dr. Garg’s complaint argues this appointment violated both:

  • UGC’s eligibility norms, and
  • Government of India’s ongoing inquiry, which was still unresolved when he took charge.

Adding irony to this saga — one of the IISER signatories on the scrutiny report, Dr. Jagdeep Singh (then Registrar, IISER Mohali), has now become the new Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University.
According to documents and internal sources at the university, Dr. Jagdeep Singh has now initiated a special inquiry into appointments made by his predecessor, Dr. Arvind.

SECTION IV – The Fresh Inquiry in Punjab

As per official correspondence (Letter No. HED-EDU1/3/23-1edu/I/1209505 dated 25-09-2025), signed by Anindita Mitra, IAS,

“A retired session judge, Poonam R. Joshi, has been appointed to investigate Dr. Arvind’s eligibility and recruitment irregularities.”

Sources within Punjabi University told Samvad Patar:

“The new Vice-Chancellor has ordered an internal review aligning with the government’s direction. For the first time, director-level appointments made during the previous administration will be scrutinized in full detail.”

SECTION V – The 1158 Recruitment Storm

Dr. Garg’s campaign intensified after the 1158 Assistant Professor recruitment scam in Punjab government colleges was exposed.
Dr. Arvind, who was part of the selection oversight structure during his VC tenure, faced allegations of procedural violations and influence over certain academic panels particularly in the Arts and Punjabi subjects, where exam leaks and irregular results were reported.

The Punjab & Haryana High Court later quashed the entire recruitment in August 2022, citing manipulation of selection criteria and non-compliance with Cabinet-approved rules.

SECTION VI – Financial Clouds and Public Backlash

Garg’s documents also highlight:

  • A massive increase in university expenditure from ₹411 crore to ₹648 crore within three years,
  • Non-utilization and refund of ₹12.5 crore RUSA grant with interest,
  • Audit red flags about unaccounted allowances and reappointments,
  • And the tragic death of a student, Jashandeep Kaur, under alleged medical negligence.

These, combined with Dr. Arvind’s confrontations with faculty associations and press outbursts, have cast a long shadow on his tenure.

SECTION VII – The Voice That Won’t Go Silent

Dr. Piara Lal Garg’s persistence from the first complaint in May 2023 to continuous follow-ups through RTI, letters, and now a state-level inquiry marks him as one of the few voices demanding institutional integrity.

He says simply:

“If we lose the moral core of our universities, we lose the soul of Punjab itself.”

CONCLUSION: The Road Ahead

As the Judicial Inquiry led by Justice Poonam R. Joshi begins, and the university’s own internal probe unfolds under Dr. Jagdeep Singh, the question remains
Will this be a turning point for Punjab’s higher education system, or just another file stacked in silence?

For now, Samvad Patar stands by its commitment to document every development with evidence, not echo.

Faith and fear on campus

Inside Punjabi University, talk of the new inquiry has spread quickly.
Some call it overdue.
Others worry it will drag on for years, as most internal inquiries do.
But the mood is different this time.
There is a sense that the new administration wants a clean slate.

Teachers who have served for decades say they only want stability.
One senior professor said quietly,

“We just want our university to be known for teaching again, not for turmoil.”

The activist’s persistence

Dr Garg’s campaign goes beyond this one case.
He has been writing, speaking, and travelling across Punjab, defending the Punjabi language and questioning the slow decline of public institutions.
He sees both as part of the same story the erosion of values that once defined Punjab’s identity.

His critics call him stubborn.
His supporters call him necessary.
Either way, he has managed to make the system respond, even if reluctantly.
That, in itself, is rare.

Vigilance and verification

According to official communication reviewed by Samvad Patar, the vigilance bureau acknowledged receipt of Dr Garg’s complaint earlier this year.
Subsequent correspondence confirmed that the case had entered the preliminary verification stage.
Officials have said that both the complainant and the university administration will have an opportunity to submit their records.

The process is expected to run parallel to the judicial inquiry already ordered by the Punjab Government.
No final findings have yet been made public.

But inside the bureaucracy, the signal is clear: higher education governance in Punjab is now under a larger microscope.

Breaking the Chains: A Financial Revolution for Punjab’s Generation Z
Floods of Neglect: Demanding a Judicial Reckoning for Bhakra’s Betrayal

Beyond names, beyond one university

This story is no longer about individuals.
It’s about systems, checks, and trust.
Across India, universities have struggled with the same questions — who audits recruitment, who watches the watchmen?
Punjabi University, once the pride of Punjab’s intellectual culture, has become a testing ground for those answers.

Experts say this could become a model case.
If handled cleanly, it could strengthen the credibility of all state universities.
If not, it will become just another headline lost to bureaucratic fatigue.

Files and faith

Every file carries two truths: what happened, and what must never happen again.
The first truth belongs to the past; the second belongs to everyone who still believes education must stay honest.

A university, after all, is not just a place for degrees.
It is where integrity is taught — and tested.

And sometimes, as this story shows, it is a citizen outside the classroom who reminds it what that means.

Commentary

As a journalist, I’ve watched this story move from a whisper to a headline as I always stands behind Dr Garg.
It began with one man’s letters.
It has now reached a retired judge’s desk.

Punjab’s universities stand at a crossroads.
They can either treat these inquiries as embarrassment or as opportunity.
Opportunity to fix what’s broken, to rebuild public trust, to prove that learning still belongs to truth.

No file, no inquiry, no bureaucracy can do that alone.
It takes voices — persistent, polite, and fearless — like Dr Piara Lal Garg’s to keep the lamp burning.

📢 Stay Connected With Us!

Get the latest news, analysis, and updates directly on your phone:

✅ Be part of our community and never miss a story.

✍️ Support Independent Journalism

Journalism survives when readers support it. If you value fair, ethical, and fearless reporting, consider supporting our work.

📱 Scan this QR Code to connect directly with me and contribute to our mission:
👉 Every contribution, small or big, strengthens the voice of independent journalism.

Disclaimer

This publication is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It does not substitute for professional advice in any field.

Our editorial work aligns with the principles of:

  • Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India (Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression)
  • Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression)
  • International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists
  • Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics (U.S.)
  • World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) principles of accessibility, transparency, and responsible digital publishing.

While we strive for accuracy and fairness, Samvad News does not guarantee completeness or absolute correctness of information. Readers are encouraged to verify facts independently and exercise judgment before making personal, financial, or legal decisions based on this content.

Post Views: 396