The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Lyngdoh panel holds first public hearing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Lyngdoh panel holds first public hearing

Staff Reporter

Colleges in the city concerned over mode of election of student leaders

LISTENING INTENTLY: J.M. Lyngdoh (centre), listens to university and college representatives on Tuesday. Ved Prakash (right) and Dayanand Dongaonkar, secretary general, Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi, (left), are also seen. — Ph oto: K.V. Srinivasan

CHENNAI: The Lyngdoh committee on student bodies held its first public hearing for the southern region here on Tuesday.

The committee has been established with former Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh as chairperson following a Supreme Court order to examine the issue of student body elections.

At the hearing, college managements said that the mode of election of student leaders was an issue of concern for city colleges.

Kerala petition

The Supreme Court order follows the filing of a Special Leave Petition challenging a judgment of the Kerala High Court by the University of Kerala.

The High Court, ruling on writ petitions filed by the council of principals of colleges in Kerala, said that the constitution stipulated by the University was not binding on affiliated colleges. The Council has submitted a list of suggestions for improving the current system of student elections in Kerala.

The first is changing the mode of elections from direct to "parliamentary."

The former involves students directly electing leaders, while the second involves the election of representatives for classes, who will then select the office bearers of the student union or body.

Other suggestions include stipulating high levels of attendance and academic abilities as prerequisites for candidates standing for elections.

Suggestions opposed

The Students' Federation of India (the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has opposed both suggestions. It is imperative to foster a culture of democracy on campuses, especially in a country where more than half the population is below 25, said G. Selva, general secretary, SFI, Tamil Nadu.

The proliferation of private colleges has eroded the democratic rights of students with rules and regulations being framed without their consultation or consent, he said.

A few private colleges with direct elections have apparently expressed their support for the system, while others have said that elections should be done away with and that student representatives be nominated.

Santhanam, vice-principal, Loyola College, said that direct elections have functioned well in the college without political interference and with norms of attendance for candidates, who are given a platform to represent views and are not allowed to canvass inside classes.

The hearing continues today.

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