Chandigarh, Nov. 2 -- Panjab University (PU) vice-chancellor Renu Vig made a strong appeal tothe institution's alumni,urging them to actively participate in strengthening the university's innovation and start-up ecosystem through mentorship and funding for emerging innovators. In her inaugural address at the 6th Global Alumni Meet, Vig emphasised the pivotal role graduates play in fuelling the university's progress and championing the next wave of changemakers. "Alumni have played a pivotal role in supporting scholarships, mentorship programmes, placement drives, expert lectures, industry interactions and specialised workshops, providing students with real-world exposure, career guidance and research opportunities," Vig said. The event, held on Saturday at PU, was filled with nostalgia and laughter as alumni from across the world reconnected with their alma mater. Justice Swatanter Kumar, former judge of the Supreme Court, charmed the audience with his recollections of university life, fondly recalling his days on the football field and how professors would often urge him to "study at least once in a while." He praised the hostel staff, saying they were "as caring and wise as our teachers," and reflected on the camaraderie and discipline that defined his years at PU. UT police DGP Sagar Preet Hooda, another distinguished alumnus, reminisced about the strong sense of community that characterised his student life. He expressed his willingness to support the university in developing a vehicle-free pedestrian pathway to restore the calm, walkable spaces that once defined the campus. For alumni who could not attend in person, the varsity curated a heartfelt audio-visual segment featuring messages from a bunch of notable alumni; among them were Lord Raminder Ranger-member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, Preeti Sudan-Chairman of UPSC and Sahil Ram Bishnoi, the oldest alumnus of the varsity. Their words drew smiles, laughter and long emotional applauses from the audience. Among the other present alumni were Ms Globe India Jasmine Rana, NCERT joint director Amarendra P Behera, scientist-entrepreneur Manish Jindal-who shared his vision of establishing a centre of excellence in AI and robotics at PU, and IAS officer Rajiv Kumar Gupta. They were honoured during the felicitation of golden, silver and distinguished batches. While nostalgia and laughter filled the Law Auditorium during the Global Alumni Meet, tensions simmered outside. A protest against the university's anti-protest affidavit shifted from outside the V-C office to the vicinity of the alumni event venue, with students demanding to meet the V-C. Led by PUCSC general secretary Abhishek Dagar, a group of students assembled near the Law Auditorium seeking an audience with the V-C and urging the withdrawal of the affidavit. They were initially stopped from approaching the main entrance by Chandigarh Police and university security personnel. A brief confrontation followed, after which students raised slogans against the affidavit, calling it an attempt to "silence student representation". The protest soon drew in PUCSC vice-president Ashmeet Singh and joint secretary Mohit Manderana. Both questioned why council representatives had not been invited to the alumni event, terming the exclusion "undemocratic". The demonstration turned into a sit-in and continued for nearly an hour. With no response from PU administration, the students eventually moved back to V-C office area and continued their agitation. Later in the evening, actor Amtoj Maan and political activist Lakha Sidhana visited the protesting students, expressing solidarity with their demands....