Twenty-five years after they were banned, Maharashtra’s universities will witness the return of campus polls, as the State government on Tuesday released rules and regulations for student elections.
“These elections will be held as per the recommendations of the Lyngdoh committee and directions of the Supreme Court. The election process will be completed by September 30 of the next academic year,” said Education Minister Vinod Tawde.
The student election program will be announced before July 31 and a university students council will be set up before September 30, the minister said. The elections for the student councils of university departments and colleges will be held on a single day and will based on a majority vote. University student council office bearers will be elected from college representatives. The process will be time bound and without interference from political parties, as candidates are not allowed to use symbols, photos, logos or images of any party, person or religious organisation.
The eligibility criterion for candidates include enrollment in a full-time course either in college or university. The candidate must have cleared all subjects from the previous year and shouldn’t have any academic backlog. The age-limit for the candidate is 25 years, which means only undergraduate or post-graduate students can contest.
“University elections are meant to infuse leadership qualities and a democratic process among students. Representatives would also mean that students will be directly involved in solving problems affecting their community,” said Mr. Tawde.