Don’t speak to media, PAU’s diktat for officials

Ludhiana: Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has issued orders restricting scientists, faculty members and officials from engaging with the press, while reminding them about previous such instructions issued by university authorities. The university has also threatened disciplinary action against those found to be speaking to print and electronic media.The order prohibited faculty members and other staff from approaching electronic or print media on administrative or other issues of the university without prior approval of the competent authority. According to the order, scientists, faculty members and officials are barred from speaking to the press directly. If they intend to engage with the media, they have to follow a detailed process, including taking permission from senior officials of the administration. Scientists and faculty members will have to get permission from the director of research, after which they can speak to the press through the director, communications. The order issued by the university registrar stated that instructions issued on July 17, 2020 said that all policy/opinion papers/ perspective papers authored by PAU scientists for publication in newspapers should be submitted to/routed through the director, research, PAU. Further, permission for appearing in electronic media as anchor or resource person should also be obtained from the director, research by providing details about the topic and channel.‘I thought I was a professor’Agriculture economist and former vice-chancellor of PAU, Sardara Singh Johl, said, “Such an order can be very restrictive. It never happened earlier. Once, the first vice-chancellor of PAU called for my explanation on my article published in a newspaper, saying that it had embarrassed the position of the government. My simple explanation was, “I thought I was a professor.” He closed the case. After that, never was any prohibition or channelising of professional papers resorted to. Anyway, university may be having some problems. It is their administrative choice.”

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