Punjab Dept of Higher Education issues show-cause notice to Lovely Professional University for violating lockdown norms

The Punjab Department of Higher Education on Saturday issued a show-cause notice to Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar for alleged violation of lockdown norms.

"It has come to light that inspite of all the instructions issued by the government and ignoring the gravity of the situation and jeopardizing the life of about 3200 people and thousands of others to which infection can spread, you did not shut down completely. Considering the highly infectious nature of the disease and despite the fact that there was sufficient time for you to send all students to their respective homes from March 13 to March 22, but for no reasons, you continued with the functioning of the university and the hostels and made no effort to send them to their homes," said the State Higher Education Department in its show-cause notice.

The Department further said that the university flouted the basic norm of the lockdown, i.e, social distancing and "falsely" informed the Jalandhar district administration that the university was shut down.

"You are hereby asked to explain within seven days of receipt of this letter, as to why not "No Objection Certificate" issued to your university be withdrawn for violating government orders," the notice read.

The Ministry of Home Affairs in its guidelines issued on both March 24 and April 14 had ordered shutting of all educational institutes amid the lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

( With inputs from ANI )