Chandigarh: With Panjab University announcing its student council elections for August 31, security has been stepped up on campus amid concerns over outsider movement and the seizure of bats, rods, baseball bats and other such items. PU security officials claimed that around 120 such items had been seized during checks conducted on Wednesday and Thursday.A senior PU security official said around 50-60 additional police personnel would be present on campus, with some deployed at the gates. The university is also planning two to three nakas at strategic locations inside the campus, including near the University School of Open Learning (USOL), Arts Block 1 and 2, and around the Chemistry Department and Administrative Block.“Around 50-60 more police personnel will be present and have been deployed at the gates. We are also planning two to three nakas at strategic locations,” the official said.The proposed deployment is aimed at checking the entry of outsiders and preventing clashes or other untoward incidents as election-related activity gathers pace.The move, however, comes against the backdrop of last year’s controversy over police nakas on the campus, when security arrangements themselves became a source of confrontation between students and the police.In August 2025, multiple police checkpoints had been set up inside PU ahead of the student council elections. Student organisations protested against what they described as excessive police deployment and repeated checking of vehicles. Tensions escalated after student leaders alleged that they were stopped and searched at the checkpoints.The protests eventually led to a road blockade near the Administrative Block, disrupting movement on the campus. Students raised slogans against the police, university administration and the university security chief, while demanding that the nakas be removed. Police, however, refused to withdraw the checkpoints, maintaining that they were necessary to prevent outsider interference and ensure security during the election period.Police had also cited recent incidents involving weapons and outsiders as justification for the heightened deployment. The issue remained unresolved during the initial confrontation, with the protest continuing through the night despite the presence of senior police officials.The dispute subsequently continued for several days. On August 16, the university and student representatives reached an understanding on aspects of checking and police presence. It was decided that routine vehicle checking would be handled by university security, while police would intervene if anything objectionable or illegal was found. The police naka near the Administrative Block was suspended, although three other internal nakas and checking at the main gates continued. Police deployment was to resume once the election code of conduct came into force.The previous year’s episode has made the proposed nakas particularly significant this time. While the university is again preparing for additional checking and police deployment, any increase in checkpoints is likely to be closely watched by student organisations, given the confrontation over the issue last year.This year, the university has also proposed nakas at several locations across the academic and administrative areas rather than relying only on gate-level checking. The exact deployment could be altered according to the situation, officials said.The August 31 election date was announced on Thursday after the university had earlier considered August 29 and 31. Student organisations had opposed August 29, citing the limited time available for campaigning, with several parties yet to announce their candidates.The university had initially planned to hold the elections in September, but the schedule was advanced because of security concerns surrounding farmer organisations’ announced programmes in Chandigarh from September 1. The PU Senate election process, beginning from September 7, also left little room for pushing the student polls further into September.With polling now less than two weeks away, security preparations are expected to intensify alongside campaigning. The university will now have to balance tighter checks and restrictions on outsider movement with normal student movement and election activity, while avoiding a repeat of the standoff that made police nakas one of the biggest flashpoints of last year’s PU elections.
