Chandigarh: PU puts a ban on Holi celebrations at Student Centre

Hindustan Times

09-05-2025

Panjab University (PU) has decided to ban Holi celebrations at the Student Centre from the upcoming academic session (2025-26). This comes in the backdrop of a student, Aditya Thakur's murder during a fest and reports of rowdy behaviour during Holi celebrations earlier this year.
A committee, headed by Nandita Singh which is looking after the functioning of the dean student welfare (DSW) office, has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for organising events on campus. The panel was formed after the DSW was asked to step down temporarily amid inquiry into Thakur's murder on March 28.
As per the SOPs, Holi celebrations are banned at the Student Centre on the day of Holi and the day prior to it. Celebrations will, however, be allowed in departments a day prior to the festival with permission from the chairperson and the dean of university instructions (DUI). Outsiders will strictly not be allowed.
The SOPs also mention that DJ systems will not be allowed for general events at Student Centre anymore. The decision has been taken in view of the events in March when DJ systems allegedly breached the permissible sound levels.
Vice-chancellor Renu Vig has confirmed that she has approved the committee's SOPs and forwarded them for implementation.
Star nights banned too
The SOPs have also officially confirmed that star nights on campus are now a thing of the past. PU vice-chancellor had already announced this in the aftermath of Aditya Thakur's murder. The annual Vimarsh fest will now have debates on contemporary issues while Scitron fest will have a science exhibition. These will both be organised in February.
While it was learned that PUCSC members were spending as much as ₹25 lakh to organise such star nights, no student council member will be allowed to bring cash sponsorship to organise such exorbitantly priced events. Stalls put up during such events will also be allotted through a centralised system maintained by the DSW for transparency. A separate bank account will be maintained by the DSW for collection of sponsorship and stall rent. The account will be audited yearly.
Now the vice-chancellor, the DSW and DUI can cancel any student fest if the situation is not conducive.
Aditya Thakur, 22, a second-year student of computer science engineering at the University Institute of Engineering and Technology, along with three other students, was stabbed by some unidentified persons at a concert held at PU's South Campus in March this year. He succumbed to his injuries later this year. PU also had to cancel singer-rapper Arjan Dhillon's performance at the last minute due to inadequate preparation. Two Holi parties organised by Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) president Anurag Dalal had also come under the scanner as there were complaints that the DJ systems were playing above permissible limits and there was little check on entry by outsiders. Videos of outsiders scaling the PU wall during Holi celebrations had gone viral on social media. PU has not taken any action for the events that transpired on these two days even now, with some students also alleging that incidents of sexual harassment took place during the celebrations.