PU's lax gates & open pedestrian entry under lens after harassment case
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Chandigarh: Wednesday's case of alleged harassment involving two girl students has once again turned the spotlight on Panjab University's lax entry system—where even vehicle entry checks are proving unreliable, and pedestrian access remains almost entirely unregulated.
On Wednesday, a UILS girl student had alleged that two drunk boys in a car harassed her and her friend by trying to stop them and passing comments while they were walking towards their hostel. She also uploaded a video on social media referencing the incident. PU security traced the vehicle through CCTV footage and identified two outsiders. One was called to campus on Thursday, while the other is expected on Friday. "Appropriate action will be taken after speaking with the girls and understanding how they wish to proceed," said a senior PU official.
Though this incident involved a car, it has revived broader concerns about how freely people can enter the campus. At PU's main gates in Sector 14 and Sector 25, vehicular checks are often inconsistent. However, it is the completely unchecked pedestrian movement through multiple side gates and low boundary walls that is a big security lapse.
The Sector 14 campus has three main gates and at least two smaller ones—one near the campus Gurdwara and Mandir, and another near Gate No.
2 adjoining campus residential area. These gates remain totally unmanned. Sector 25 faces a similar situation, with a gate opens directly into a neighbourhood. It remains unlocked as passage for students of government school located inside Sector 25 campus during school hours and is routinely crossed over even when shut.
According to a PU security official, some faculty members and campus residents have resisted its permanent closure as it is commonly used by domestic workers and local residents.
But these everyday access points have become a growing concern. "People walk in from the main gates also. There's no mechanism to check them. We are already busy with checking vehicular entry," said a guard posted near Gate No. 2. Earlier this year, outsiders scaled the wall near the Gate No 2 during Holi celebrations. Although fencing was repaired, the wall remains low at multiple points. A few weeks later, a UIET student was fatally stabbed on the Sector 25 campus—an incident that sparked protests and renewed demands for access control.
Sector 25, which houses several departments, hostels, and over 2,500 students, remains among the least monitored areas of the campus. Students have repeatedly flagged poor lighting and minimal surveillance, especially at night.
In response, PU is in process of recruiting 50 security guards, two security officers, and two assistant officers through the Zila Sainik Board. The long-pending plan to raise the boundary wall is also being revived in consultation with the UT administration.
To further curb misuse of access, a new rule has been introduced: outsiders entering after 5pm must be received at the gate by the concerned student or staff member. "We are going one step ahead to stop those who falsely claim they have to meet someone," said Prof Dinesh Kumar, the newly appointed faculty incharge of PU security.
BOX- New 5 PM rule
In the wake of the recent harassment complaint, PU has introduced a new rule for evening access: outsiders entering the campus after 5pm will only be allowed if the concerned student or staff member comes to receive them at the gate. "This is to stop misuse of access," said PU security faculty incharge Prof Dinesh Kumar.
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