The students of Bangalore University (BU) have urged the state government to lift the ban on campus student unions and restart student elections in the state.
On Wednesday, August 9, the Bangalore University Post Graduate and Research Scholars' Association submitted a memorandum to the Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar, putting forward their demands. This happened while the minister was visiting the campus to distribute laptops to research scholars belonging to the SC/ST communities.
Lokesh Ram, research scholar and Vice-President, BU Post Graduate and Research Scholars' Association, told EdexLive, “The association, in support of several other students from the university, have demanded that student elections be restarted in the state which was banned years ago. The minister responded in a positive way saying that the government has been thinking in the same direction and the demand will be taken up for consideration."
In 1989, the Karnataka government banned student elections on college campuses to keep institutions free from politics and violence.
Other demands
Along with this, the association also demanded compensation for the family of Shilpashree, an MSc student at Bangalore University who died in a road accident on campus last year.
Shilpashree, who was pursuing a Master's in the Mathematics Department of the university, met with an accident with a speeding BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation) bus in October 2022. Following her death, a series of protests erupted at the campus highlighting the lack of road safety on the university’s campus.
On Wednesday, the research scholars’ association at BU requested a grant from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the deceased’s family and a government job for one of her family members.
“After the protest, the university gave Rs 4 lakh to Shilpashree’s family but that is not enough. We demand the state government to release a grant from the CM Relief Fund for the victim’s family,” Lokesh added.
