Indore: Cloud of uncertainty is looming large over student union elections, as state government is yet to confirm whether the elections should be held or not.
Though higher education minister Jaivan Singh Pawaiya last year had promised regular student union elections at colleges and universities in the state from session 2017-18, the government is yet to issue any instructions regarding the same. However, the government did loosely earmark the month of August/September for the election in the academic calendar, but seemingly, just for the sake of it.
With September nearly over, nod from the government is still awaited at the universities. However, students are afraid that like past years, this year too they won’t be able to form their union, the only potential platform for them to raise their concerns at institutions of higher learning.
“We have not received any poll schedule from the state government and thus, we are not in a position to tell whether student union polls will be held or not,” said dean of student welfare at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV), LK Tripahti.
Indore division additional director (higher education) Dr KN Chaturvedi too admitted that “There is no communiqué regarding student union election in public domain so far.” Last student union elections were held in 2011. Even though the polls were peaceful, the government did not permit universities to hold elections thereafter, for reasons best known to the powers that be.
Univs risking contempt of court for not following SC order
Avoiding student union polls by the government is a stark violation of Supreme Court ruling and also, the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms. The SC in 2006 had directed for implementation of the Lyngdoh committee recommendations on student union elections, which stated that student union elections should be conducted in direct or indirect manner or a hybrid of both over a period of five years in universities and colleges across the country.
For quite some years, the UGC, citing SC order pertaining to conduct of student union polls, have been writing to the universities to implement the order and give them a feedback report. However, universities in the state have not been responding to the UGC letter. The last such unanswered letter was sent to the universities across the state in April. Moreover, following an undeclared ban on the polls, the state universities including DAVV are also risking contempt of court for not implementing the apex court’s order.
State government being the competent authority to permit student union elections in universities and colleges; in the absence of its proper directives, it’s been six years since the student council was formed in any colleges and universities in the state. Following the Lyngdoh committee recommendations issued by the UGC in 2007, the government had held student elections in 2011 for the last time in universities and colleges in the state.
