PNS/
 
The by-election for Jalandhar Parliamentary constituency, that fall vacant following the sudden demise of sitting MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary in January this year, will be held on May 10; and the counting will take place on May 13.
 
The second bypoll after the Aam Aadmi Party took over the state reigns in March 2022, Jalandhar Lok Sabha would be a challenging seat for the ruling party to claim. Earlier, AAP had lost the Sangrur parliamentary byelections in June 2022, few months after it swept all the traditional political players in Punjab to win a record 92 seats to form the government — causing much embarrassment to the party, especially the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who had been a two-time MP.
 
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president and Khalistani sympathizer Simranjit Singh Mann won the seat after defeating AAP’s Gurmail Singh by a narrow margin of 5822 votes
 
Traditionally a congress bastion, Jalandhar would be a litmus test for AAP, especially amidst the prevailing law and order situation in the state in the wake of crackdown against radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh.
 
Notably, Congress has already announced the name of former MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh’s widow — Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary — as its candidate for the bypoll.
 
Prof Vig appointed PU’s first woman VC
Chandigarh: The Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday appointed Prof Renu Cheema Vig as Panjab University, Chandigarh’s Vice-Chancellor — making her the first woman to hold the position in the varsity’s 141-year history.
 
Exercising the powers conferred by Section 10 of the Panjab University Act, 1947, Dhankhar, who is also PU’s Chancellor, made the appointment for a term of three years.
 
An alumna of Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Prof Vig joined PU’s University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) as reader (associate in professor) in 2003.
 
Subsequent to the resignation of Prof Raj Kumar as PU VC in January this year amid allegations of corruption, Prof Vig, who was at the time holding the charge of Dean of University Instructions (DUI), was appointed the acting V-C. Consequently, a three-member search-cum-selection committee was constituted on March 21, 2023, for recommending names for the position. Prof Vig’s appointment follows from the committee’s report.