The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : HC order on varsity polls criticised

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Other States

Other States - Rajasthan

HC order on varsity polls criticised

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Students' unions and teachers' organisations in Rajasthan have asked the State Government to enact laws to protect the democratic rights of students and teachers in the wake of the recent High Court order against holding elections in universities and educational institutions. If need be the Centre would also be approached for enactment of such a law in Parliament, they said.

About a dozen organisations, representatives of which met mediapersons here on Tuesday, expressed concern over the court order of May 5 and said it "was a one-sided judgement". The order, they said, was delivered without hearing all the affected parties.

In its May 5 order the Court asked the State Government to discontinue with elections to students' unions and teachers and non-teaching staff organisations.

The organisations included Students Federation of India, Rajasthan Shikshak Sangh (Shekhawat), Janwadi Lekhak Sangh, Rajasthan University and College Teachers Association, the All India Federation of Universities and College Teachers Association, the Rajasthan Vishwavidyalaya Asheshanik Karamchari Sangh, Rajasthan and the Centre for Indian Trade Unions.

"No one should be misguided by the notion that by not holding elections all round academic excellence would be achieved. In fact, the best universities and colleges in the country have the most active students unions and staff organizations," said Ravindra Shukla, general secretary of CITU, Rajasthan.

"It is ironical that they are talking about decline in standards when the Rajasthan University was given A++ rating recently,'' Mr. Shukla pointed out.

"It is again an irony that the Rajasthan High Court had revived the election process in the university in the late 1980s on the basis of a petition filed by SFI,'' said Rajeev Gupta, a member of the Syndicate of the Rajasthan University. "We have always asked the University authorities to impose election code in the campus prior to varsity polls,'' said Sanjay Madhav, State unit president of Students Federation of India.

"If the education standards are falling there are many other ways to improve it,'' said Kasiram Choudhary, vice president of AIFUCTO.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News Update

Stories in this Section

New dimension to communal tension in Bhilwara

HC order on varsity polls criticised