It is learnt that the authorities have included in the agenda the item for consideration and approval of the council selections made by various selection committees in July and August after duly advertising them in national and regional dailies, on the agenda for the approval of EC.

The state government had, vide its order dated August 12, 1998, imposed a blanket ban on appointments in three universities including Maharishi Dayanand University. These appointments could not get the EC's approval as the ban orders came before any meeting of the council could be held.

The proposal included the selection of a professor in the Psychology Department, coordinator in the Directorate of District Education, reader in the Defence Studies Department, reader and lecturer in the Computer Sciences Department, lecturer in the Law Department, and lecturer in the Department of English and Political Science.

Teaching work is suffering. Nearly 12 posts of professors, 24 post of readers and 42 posts of lecturers are lying vacant. This has virtually crippled the working of some departments. The worst sufferers are the Department of Journalism, Computer Science and Pharmacy.

The other item which could cause resentment among the teachers is that of amendment in the rules of extraordinary leave for teachers. The authorities propose to withdraw the facility of increment benefit to the teachers who go on extraordinary leave.

It also proposes to amend the fee of outstation or field visits by students.Another item which proposes to give veto power to the nominee of the Vice-Chancellor in selection of the principal, lecturer, and librarian of any of the affiliated colleges is likely to generate much heat. A tug of war is going on between the Vice-Chancellor of Maharishi Dayanand University O. P. Kaushik and MDUTA on various issues concerning the university and its style of functioning. The situation reached a flashpoint when the authorities issued show cause notices to four teachers, including Wazir Singh Nehra, MDUTA ex-president, and Gulshan Taneja, MDUTA secretary.

Four teachers -- Nehra, Taneja, Himmat Singh and Kultaj -- were served notices by the Registrar, charging them with having indulged in gross misconduct and having acted against the interest of the university. Ten teachers of various departments were also issued notices after they were reportedly found absent during a surprise visit by the Vice-Chancellor and registrar. Entries in the service book of three teachers were made on similar charges.

Though the teachers did not take kindly to such measures, the Vice-Chancellor claimed that they were taken to ensure the attendance of teachers in their departments.