Amid growing demands by the students to conduct student union elections, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has responded by saying that it is in favour of holding student union elections; however, admissions are still underway, and the matter related to the 2019 university election is sub-judice.
The last JNU elections were held in 2019. The student groups are demanding that the administration issue a notification regarding the elections, and they have also condemned the inordinate delay in holding elections.
The administration, however, is adamant that the matter is sub-judice and PhD admissions have still not concluded, reported ANI.
"Jawaharlal Nehru University is in favour of student body elections. But in the last election of 2019, JNUSU was not notified by the administration due to alleged non-compliance with the Lyngdoh Committee. So then elected representatives went to court, and the matter is still sub-judice," a senior University official told ANI.
The official added that the university cannot organise the election until that matter is resolved in court.
JNUSU was not notified last year due to alleged non-compliance with the Lyngdoh Committee Report. The Lyngdoh Committee recommendations state that elections need to be held on a yearly basis and between six to eight weeks from the date of commencement of the academic session.
“No JNUSU”
The incumbent JNUSU held a general body meeting on September 18. On September 26, they wrote to the University Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit, asking her to initiate the process of holding elections.
Meanwhile, the JNU official said that there is no JNUSU as of now.
"There is no JNUSU president, and there is no JNUSU. If the JNUSU was not notified by the administration representatives, then how can they hold a general body meeting?" the official asked.
As per the letter, the University General Body condemned the inordinate delay in the conduct of JNUSU Elections since 2020 due to the "arbitrary and undemocratic decisions" regarding the same by the JNU administration.
"The University General Body further condemns the undemocratic policies of the JNU Administration regarding student representation, such as the exclusion of JNUSU representatives from bodies concerning student welfare and the illegal practice of not recognizing elected student representatives through the façade of not notifying the election results," the letter read.
Student union elections in all the universities of the country are held strictly according to the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations. The committee was formed in response to the Kerala High Court's decision to give autonomy to the college principals of Kerala University regarding students’ union elections.
