V-C inaugurates open air theatre, selfie-points at Pondicherry University
The open air theatre is a stage for not only cultural events, but also for informal intellectual discourse among the students and scholars, he said.
The Vice-Chancellor later inaugurated the office of the Proctorial Board of the University. The Pondicherry University Proctorial Board Regulations, he said, were formulated after careful reference of other Central universities by a duly-constituted committee to maintain discipline and ensure code of conduct among students on the campus.
(The decision to impose a code of conduct had drawn condemnation from the Pondicherry University Students' Council which had stated that 'the measure was a way of forcing undefined moral standards which could be weaponised against students voicing dissent.' Eventually, this would lead to 'criminalising expression and participation and silencing of dissent with punishments that overreach legal boundaries', the Council feared.)
Y. Venkata Rao, Dean, Students' Welfare contended that the provision for Proctorial Board was as per the Pondicherry University Act, 1985. With the University expanding and adding courses with a large number of students enrolling, it was necessary to constitute the Proctorial Board to ensure that disciplinary processes were followed by adhering to principles of natural justice and teaching and learning activities were carried out smoothly without any disturbances. The composition of the Board has a broad representation of members from minorities, women and North-East region in order to ensure fairness in its functioning, he said.
The V-C also inaugurated two selfie-points on the premises in different locations.
Sibi. P.S., Deputy Dean, Students' Welfare, K. Tharanikkarasu, Director, Studies, Clement Sagayaradja Lourdes, Director, Culture, Rajneesh Bhutani, Registrar (in-charge), Vijay Kumar, Librarian, deans of schools, heads of the departments, faculty members, officers, staff and students participated.
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