DU student to approach SC for change in guidelines

With Delhi University (DU) concluding the polls for its Student Union body on Tuesday, a law student at the Varsity, along with a lawyer, is set to knock on the Supreme Court's doors urging it to revise the decade-old Lyngdoh committee's guidelines, based on which the elections are being held across universities.

Vikas Bhaskar, a third year student at DU's law faculty, and Mohit K Gupta, a lawyer at the Delhi High Court, have decided to file the petition to point out multiple violations of the committee's recommendation by all the student political groups.

"We find money and muscle power is ruling the elections and nothing concrete is being done for student welfare. I have not found any office bearer going to courts for students against the university. I have accessed information under RTI and shall be looking forward to petition the Supreme Court for revising the recommendations which were set a decade back," said Gupta.

An RTI filed by Gupta last year revealed the expenditure being incurred by the university in conducting DUSU elections. The documents revealed under RTI shows how 11 cases were being registered, including Ms Pratibha Jolly, Principal Miranda House's complaint, under the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007.

Interestingly, all the elected office bearers have submitted audit reports from chartered accountants of expenses being incurred less than Rs 5,000.

The guidelines recommends that the institution should organise leadership-training programmes with the help of professional organisations to groom and instil in students' leadership qualities.

"However, the recommendations donning the shield of judicial order of the SC has not been implemented by the DU for all these years since 2006," Bhaskar said.

Student’s petition

Vikas Bhaskar, a third year student, have decided to file a petition to point out multiple violations of the Lyngdoh committee’s recommendation by student political groups