Parveen Goyal of University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) won the presidential post of Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) on Wednesday by a margin of 69 votes.

Goyal, a professor in the mechanical engineering department, said teachers’ promotion at all levels will remain his priority. The extension of the retirement age for professors from 60 years to 65 years will be another area he will work on. “Though the retirement age matter is pending in the Punjab and Haryana high court, we will put all efforts to expedite the legal process” said Goyal.

He said PUTA will urge the PU chancellor for appointment of a regular V-C as soon as possible for speedy implementation of pending academic and non-academic works.

Of the five key office bearer posts, four were elected from Goyal’s panel including secretary, joint secretary and treasurer while vice president post was won by Ikreet Singh Bal of Dr Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital.

Ikreet Singh received 291 votes and won by a margin of 73 votes. Jayanti Dutta of the Human Resource Development Centre, won secretary’s post fetching 297 votes and winning by a margin of 87 votes. For Joint secretary’s post, Naveen Kaushal of the biophysics department won by 49 votes. Neeraj Kumar Singh of AC Joshi Library was elected treasurer, receiving the highest number of votes (319), with victory margin of 128 votes.

The PUTA office bearers’ term is for one year. In all, 523 votes were cast and 10 of them were invalid. The election process of PUTA had begun on October 10.

Goyal, who previously held the PUTA posts of treasurer and secretary, said he would hold a general body meeting within a month to listen to the issues of faculty members.