Chandigarh, Nov. 12 -- A lack of foresight and poor coordination between Panjab University (PU) and the Centre are to be blamed for the unprecedented protests that derailed the long-debated senate reforms, which could have ushered in a new era for the varsity. The reforms were notified, put on hold and eventually withdrawn in less than a fortnight.

Former two-time vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Grover, who was a vocal supporter of the reforms, pointed to a lack of coordination between the Centre and the PU administration. "Governance reform issues ought to be handled differently from other Central Universities of India, whose past differs fundamentally from that of PU," Grover said, hinting at the sentiments that Punjab holds for the univers...