Chandigarh, June 19 -- In a first, Panjab University (PU) has made it mandatory for all students seeking admission to the 2025-26 session to sign an affidavit stating that they will seek prior permission before staging any protest, and that too, only at the designated spot. As per the clause, inserted in the Handbook of Information 2025, PU can debar students from exams or cancel their admission if the protest guidelines are violated. While this undertaking will apply to first-year students, it will not apply to seasoned student leaders who are already pursuing degrees on campus. When contacted, PU vice-chancellor Renu Vig said the decision was taken in view of the court case against students last year for blocking Gate Number 2 during chief minister Bhagwant Mann's visit to campus. When PU had approached the police to cancel the FIR, the students had been made to sign a similar undertaking. As per official estimates, protests were witnessed on campus on nearly 150 out of the total 200 working days. In many cases, politicians also joined the students' protests, especially those demanding senate elections. The campus authorities had remained on the edge during the Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar's visit as students had already been protesting for senate elections. In a major embarrassment for the varsity, a few students had even burnt the Vice-President's effigy. A former dean students' welfare, on the condition of anonymity, said, "This is a violation of the fundamental right to protest. PU can take action against students for breaking rules during protests but can't stop them from protesting." V-C Renu Vig, however, said, "We are not telling students not to protest. We are only asking them to do it at the designated spot and to maintain decorum inside campus." Students have started objecting to the move and have planned a joint party protest outside the V-C office on Thursday. Former Panjab University Campus Students Council vice-president Archit Garg demanded that the authorities roll back the affidavit. PSU Lalkaar party has termed it an "anti-student policy to stifle dissent". PU has also added a separate affidavit against drug use on campus....