At the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) in Patiala, faculty members have issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding the Chancellor’s intervention to address alleged administrative misconduct by the Vice-Chancellor. The faculty’s grievances were communicated in an email to Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Jai S. Singh on August 10, highlighting concerns over the promotion of a faculty member, which they claim disregarded existing orders and norms of transparency.
The faculty has petitioned for the involvement of the RGNUL Chancellor, Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, currently serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, or his delegate. Should their demands not be addressed, the faculty has threatened to withdraw from their regular duties and potentially initiate a “pen-down strike.” They argued that recent administrative decisions have been enacted without sufficient consultation with stakeholders, lacking clear rationale, and often ignoring established procedures and principles of fairness. Such actions, they claim, have fostered an environment of uncertainty and diminishing confidence within the institution.
Despite a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor, attended by the Deans of Academic Affairs and Research, the discussions did not yield a resolution. During the meeting, the Vice-Chancellor allegedly remarked on returning a nearly ₹1 crore fund sanctioned for a Chair under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
This is not the first controversy involving Prof. Singh. In September 2024, he faced significant student protests following an unannounced visit to the girls’ hostel and remarks on residents’ attire. The incident led students to demand his resignation in a letter to the Chancellor. The Punjab State Women’s Commission called for his immediate removal, while the Punjab Human Rights Commission filed a complaint. Despite denying any misconduct, the University temporarily closed during the protests before resuming operations. Prof. Singh retained his position and was appointed to the National Legal Services Authority by the Central government in December 2025.
In additional allegations, faculty members expressed concerns to Bar & Bench about academic standards, claiming a decline in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching quality. They accused the Vice-Chancellor of maintaining a curriculum akin to a senior-secondary level and noted an unwarranted increase in LL.D. degrees without clear focus areas. They further alleged a lack of transparency in the Vice-Chancellor’s office and irregularities in promotions, with some faculty members awaiting promotion since 2022, while others received multiple promotions in quick succession, often assuming administrative roles outside standard procedures.
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Further allegations include inappropriate remarks by the Vice-Chancellor toward female colleagues. One incident reportedly involved telling a faculty member to “keep her husband happy,” while another involved the Vice-Chancellor covering his face to avoid complaints when female faculty visited his office.
Regarding appointments, faculty members accused the Vice-Chancellor of bypassing the Registrar and Deans. They cited a case where a foreign national, lacking a doctoral degree, was considered for an international visiting faculty position after a chance meeting with the Vice-Chancellor on a flight. Additionally, they alleged a person with previous sexual harassment complaints from Punjabi University, Patiala, was appointed and encouraged to consult on university matters. A distinguished professor’s appointment was also reportedly conducted without proper faculty notification, discovered only through an official order.
