University of Hyderabad: Students demand debate for gender sensitisation committee nominees

Keeping in mind the issue of increasing gender sensitivity on the campus, the students of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) are demanding a debate between the candidates nominated for the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) elections. In this regard, a request letter has been sent to the election commission of the university by the All India Students' Association (AISA), as stated in a report by The New Indian Express. 

The students of UoH will cast their votes on February 24 for the student union elections for the year 2023. A presidential debate is scheduled on February 23 where presidential and general secretary candidates will present their manifestos. Although GSCASH is not a part of the union, their elections have been clubbed for logistics reasons.

The members of AISA demanded to allot time for the candidates contesting for GSCASH to address the audience. Addressing the members of the election commission, students informed that as there has been an increase in the number of sexual harassment cases against the minority gender, especially the members from the queer community on the campus; there is a dire need to start a dialogue beginning with the GSCASH Debate.

Further, the letter read, "It is important that we question the violence that the university members have faced at a time when the campus is all set to cast its vote." Moreover, GSCASH includes three women representatives from the integrated, postgraduate and research programmes each. 

The candidates of GSCASH were allotted a slot for debate in 2017-18 when the presidential elections were started. However, the debate did not take place in the last elections in 2019-20, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.