Chandigarh, June 22 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has directed the Punjabi University vice chancellor to file an affidavit on a plea from Universal College of Law, Derabassi, against a Rs.18.5-lakh penalty imposed for delayed payment of the examination fee. during the Covid-19 pandemic. The college informed the court that the 2020-2021 session was severely disrupted by the pandemic, leading to delayed admissions, which concluded in late 2020, and examinations being postponed to March 2021.The entire examination fee was deposited in March 2021 prior to the commencement of the examinations. Despite that, a penalty of Rs.18.5 lakh was imposed on the college by the varsity, it stated. The court was told that while disposing of a plea from the college on October 25, 2024, a coordinate bench had directed the vice chancellor to pass a fresh order. However, no such order was conveyed to the college nor it was given an opportunity to present its side. The penalty amount remains unchanged and the college has been told to pay the same in instalments, the court was told. Now, to coerce the petitioner college, the university has withheld the mandatory performa required for the upcoming academic session 2026-27, thereby jeopardising the future of the institution and hundreds of prospective students despite the college's name being duly notified by the state government for admissions, the court was informed. The petitioner even deposited the first installment of the penalty Rs.5 lakh according to the university's demand letter of May 21, 2026. The performa remains withheld, it was submitted. "Let an affidavit be filed by the vice chancellor on or before the next date of hearing," the bench of justice JS Puri said, while seeking response by June 25....