Panel okays students’ polls

Though the committee wanted elections to commence this academic year, changes in the Act will take another year

MUMBAI: The students’ council election that was banned in 1994 will kick-start in the next academic year with the seven-member committee submitting its draft report on the amendments to the Maharashtra University Act 1994.

The committee recently submitted a part of its report to the Maharashtra state higher and technical education department, drafting amendments in the Maharashtra University Act 1994 that had banned students’ council election.

Members attached to the committee (on condition of anonymity) have stated that the latter half of the report involving the eligibility criteria and the financing of students’ election will be submitted by August end. Although the committee wanted elections to commence in the current academic year, changes in the Act will take another year.

The report has crucial changes that allow students from affiliated colleges to vote for their university representative. Earlier, students from university affiliated colleges were only allowed to cast their vote to elect the class representative.

Following the death of a student, Owen D’Souza from Mithibai College, in 1994 —that had led to the ban on students’ council election —the committee has passed a stricture that allots 15 days for conducting the election process. This gives college officials two days to communicate to the respective university, details of the elected representatives.

The committee report also lays down parameters for election to be conducted at the college level. Despite repeated protests by student organisations demanding participation in the students’ council election, the committee report has kept student organisations affiliated to political party at bay from the election process. Even the election officer in charge of the election process should not be attached to any political outfit, states the report. Similarly, there are suggestions to provide training to teachers, principals, university staff and students about the electoral process. 

Following the Supreme Court judgement delivered in 2006, lifting ban on the students’ elections, the Maharashtra state higher and technical education department appointed the committee with Rajan Velukar, vice-chancellor of the Yeshwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University as the chairman.

Other members in the committee include NCP leader and member of the Vidhan Sabha Jitendra Ahwad, NCP MLA Sanjay Patil, Milind Chimote senate member at the Sant Gadgebaba University-Amravati, Sandesh Kondvilkar, senate member at the SNDT Women’s University and NM Kadu, deputy director higher education, Pune.

However, the state higher and technical education department seems to be apprehensive about the commencement of the students’ council election. “It involves a lengthy process, as the committee report will be discussed in the cabinet before it gets transformed into an Act. Maharashtra is the only state that has an Act for students’ council election, involving lot of legalities before it is implemented,” said Joyce Shankeran, principal secretary of state higher and technical education department.