Chandigarh, Nov. 28 -- After a year of delays, protests and controversial notifications from the Centre, Panjab University on Thursday finally received approval to hold its long-pending senate elections, scheduled between September 9 and October 4 next year. Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan, who also serves as the university's chancellor, approved the election schedule that the varsity had sent on November 9, clearing the way for the first senate polls since the previous term ended on October 31, 2024. But the university will effectively remain without a governing body for two full years. In the absence of an elected senate since October last year, the key decisions remain in the hands of the syndicate, the executive arm of the senate, and the vice-chancellor, a concentration of power that drew sustained criticism. The discontent intensified in October 2025 when the Centre notified sweeping changes to PU's governance structure, reducing the senate to 31 members, abolishing the elected graduate constituency, slashing representation for teachers and affiliated colleges and restructuring the syndicate to include more nominated and ex-officio members. The backlash was swift - teachers' unions, alumni groups and student organisations, along with social groups, united under the PU Bachao Morcha, holding marches, sit ins and campus shutdowns. Political parties soon joined the protests, forcing the Centre to first pause and eventually withdraw the notification. With the reforms scrapped and pressure mounting, PU finally sent another fresh election schedule to the chancellor this month. According to the approved plan, elections will be conducted across seven constituencies for 49 of the senate's 91 seats. The remaining senators will be either nominated or ex-officio. Polling will begin on September 7, 2026, with elections for principals and staff of technical and professional colleges, followed by counting on September 9. Elections for professors and associate/assistant professors will be held on September 14, with counting scheduled for September 16. Heads, professors and teaching staff of affiliated arts colleges and registered graduates will vote on September 20, with counting on September 22. The final constituency - various faculties of the university - will conduct elections on October 4, with counting on the same day. In the 286 days before the first day of polls, the university will publish draft electoral rolls, invite objections, hear and decide those objections and release the final rolls, as mandated by the PU's Calendar. This will be followed by the call for nominations, scrutiny notices, withdrawal notices and the final list of contesting candidates. "We are grateful to the Vice-President for approving the senate elections. This is an important step toward strengthening PU's academic environment," said Renu Vig, vice-chancellor, who was seen sharing sweets with the protesting students and former senators. Despite the announcement, the PU Bachao Morcha has made it clear that its agitation is not over. Even as celebrations broke out on campus, morcha leaders reiterated that their remaining demands remain unresolved. These include quashing of FIRs against 14 students involved in previous protests, scrapping the new SOPs for campus gatherings and disbanding the committee considering re-affiliation of Haryana colleges. "The sit-in outside the V-C's office will continue until we receive written assurances on all three demands," said morcha leader Raman, adding that they will hold a victory march across the campus on Friday....