The Hindu : New Delhi News : University student politics all set for a change

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 23, 2006
ePaper

New Delhi

New Delhi

University student politics all set for a change

Staff Reporter

Supreme Court accepts Lyngdoh Committee Report on students' union polls

NEW DELHI: With the Supreme Court accepting the J.M. Lyngdoh Committee recommendations on students' union elections in universities, student politics is all set to change. From fixing an age limit on students contesting elections in undergraduate universities to 25 years to doing away with political interference, the recommendations are expected to encourage genuine student leaders.

While it may be seen in academic circles as a step in the right direction, the acceptance of the recommendations has not gone down quite well with students and political parties in the Capital.

The biggest objection cutting across political lines is the limitation of age and compulsory attendance.

The argument that students give is that academic record and political careers cannot be taken at par.

The ABVP is the only student party to come out openly to support the recommendations.

"We welcome these recommendations. We have always supported an age limit for students contesting elections. This will not allow professional students. It is also not right for there to be direct political intervene in student politics. The only problem is the limit for the election expenditure. The amount of Rs. 5,000 is too little for Delhi University. Maybe some leniency could be applied here," said Nakul Bharadwaj, general secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The National Student Union of India (NSUI), which is in the majority in the Delhi University Students' Union, disagrees with some of the recommendations. "The age limit is not feasible for universities like JNU as there are research scholars over 30 years old. The compulsory 75 per cent attendance is also not feasible as academic careers and politics should not be mixed," said Matthew Kuzhalanaban, convenor of the NSUI committee on electoral reforms.

JNU Students' Union president Mona Das stated that adopting the recommendations would not necessarily achieve the purpose of cleaning up student politics.

"The recommendations are cosmetic and won't manage to clean up the process as they set out to do. The limit on the expenditure is also not feasible as is the age limit and the compulsory attendance,'' she added.

For its part, Delhi University has taken its own initiative to clean up the political system and has appointed a committee to recommend ways to do so.

While the committee is yet to meet, the mandate is the same as the Lyngdoh Committee to promote genuine student leadership.

"There is an age limit already in place in the University. We have also insisted that students contesting elections don't have a criminal record. The University's committee will examine the recommendations made and then take them forward. But all these changes will be made in consultation with students as it should be done in a democratic process,'' said Jaswinder Singh, Principal of SGTB Khalsa College, who is on the committee.

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

New Delhi