The student union polls are scheduled to be held on September 22. Ahead of the polls, the student units namely, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS') student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and National Students' Union of India (NSUI) have released their manifestos on September 18.
While the ABVP's manifesto promised that the student group will work for more scholarships for the marginalised, including transgenders, fairness in education costs and affordable metro travel for students, NSUI released two manifestos. One was a 10-point manifesto ensuring a violence-free campus, no fee hike and free metro passes while the women-centric "Her Manifesto" promises students legal assistance in cases of "harassment, moral policing, cyber-bullying" and menstrual leaves among others.
ABVP manifesto
The student group pitched for the implementation of dedicated university special buses and the construction of new hostels and girls' hostels in every college. It also promised to introduce an 'Earn While Learn' policy to provide students with opportunities to earn while pursuing their education.
"Previous ABVP-led DUSUs have diligently addressed student concerns. We are committed to addressing issues like fee hikes, expanding hostel infrastructure, and prioritising mental health," ABVP's presidential candidate Tushar Dedha said, as stated in a report by PTI.
ABVP's secretary candidate Aprajita said that the students' group will also focus on special initiatives for female students like self-defence training, sanitary pad distribution via vending machines, pink booths near every hostel, installation of CCTV cameras inside and outside college campuses and gender sensitisation camps.
NSUI manifesto
Round-the-clock security teams with an increased number of women guards, installation of street lights and CCTV cameras across the campus will be ensured, the manifesto stated and added that students' bodies will also take up the issue of 12 days of menstrual leave per semester.
Additionally, NSUI promises "a functional internal complaints committee, gender sensitisation workshops and self-defence training workshops in collaboration with NGOs and police", it said. Issues of counselling centres, medical rooms and sanitary napkin dispensers at colleges will also be looked into, the manifesto said.
Both the NSUI manifestos assured a violence-free campus, a grievance redressal cell, no fee hike, a hostel for all, free metro passes, a round-the-clock library, an on-campus railway reservation counter, an active placement cell, free WiFi and better infrastructure, as stated in a report by PTI.
