Chandigarh, July 4 -- Panjab University (PU) is looking to tone down the conditions related to protests on campus. In a committee meeting held on Thursday, members recommended several measures including replacing the current affidavit requirement with an undertaking. The proposed changes seek to balance maintaining campus discipline with allowing students greater freedom to express their views. A committee member requesting anonymity, said, "The committee has recommended the affidavit be replaced with an undertaking. It was discussed how breaking the conditions of an affidavit will be treated as a criminal offence, which can lead to further complications for the university." Unlike an affidavit, which carries the risk of legal litigation if its conditions are breached, an undertaking is a formal pledge by students to abide by university rules without threat of harsh legal consequences. The undertaking was first introduced by the police when PU authorities had asked that FIRs against students be withdrawn in the case when students tried to disrupt Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann's event held in the varsity in November last year. The students had to submit a similar undertaking to the police at that time. Confirming this development, PU vice-chancellor Renu Vig said that PU had intended to use this as a deterrent and the committee has recommended that treating this affidavit as an undertaking will be more appropriate for the varsity and for the students. A few students had also turned up for the meeting and had earlier agreed to this. However, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) submitted a memorandum that this affidavit in any form is not acceptable. Other recommendations made by the committee include amending the penalty clause of the undertaking. While earlier the affidavit had described how the university can debar students from appearing in exams or cancel their admissions, the committee has recommended that action now "be taken as per university rules". This will be more vague and action can be decided on a case-to-case basis. The committee's earlier recommendation to replace the requirement for students to seek permission before holding protests with a simpler process of merely intimating the authorities will also be included in the minutes of the meeting which will be sent to the PU V-C for final approval. The NSUI also held a protest regarding the issue at the Students Centre on Thursday evening. They raised slogans against the V-C, the dean of university instruction and the dean students welfare. The protest came in response to the meeting called by the committee on Thursday and the students demanded that the affidavit be totally withdrawn....