Chandigarh: How well did the outgoing PU students’ council measure up?
The main achievement for the council comes after its efforts towards initiating a menstrual leave policy for students led to its implementation from this academic session
As the current PU student council’s term draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on its performance over the past one year. However, in reality, most promises made by the council are yet to be fulfilled.
The main achievement for the council comes after its efforts towards initiating a menstrual leave policy for students led to its implementation from this academic session.
Vice-chancellor (V-C) Renu Vig had implemented menstrual leave for students on April 10, in anticipation of an approval from the PU Senate. While the body hasn’t met since then, it is expected that the proposal will be cleared.
However, even though it has been over a month since the varsity reopened for classes, especially for undergraduate courses, not many cases have come for availing menstrual leave. Speaking on the issue, council president Jatinder Singh said, “Not many students are even aware that they can take these leaves and this is not displayed prominently in some of the departments. We will increase awareness to ensure that the leaves can be taken.”
While discussing his other achievements, Singh spoke about how the council has framed a constitution of the council which is set to be implemented after the elections. He also mentioned that the council has started a helpline against sexual harassment by arranging necessary funding through alumni network and enhanced placements. He also mentioned that the council has provided relative marking schemes for engineering departments and kept a check on the various canteens and messes.
{{/usCountry}}While discussing his other achievements, Singh spoke about how the council has framed a constitution of the council which is set to be implemented after the elections. He also mentioned that the council has started a helpline against sexual harassment by arranging necessary funding through alumni network and enhanced placements. He also mentioned that the council has provided relative marking schemes for engineering departments and kept a check on the various canteens and messes.
{{/usCountry}}However, going over last year’s manifesto of NSUI, there has not been an update as such on faculty recruitment, teaching experience certificates for researchers, setting up of a central placement cell and starting transcripts with DMCs. Singh defended that the council had worked on these issues and were all at different stages. Recruitments had been halted briefly due to the issue regarding OBC reservations for teachers but have resumed now.
{{/usCountry}}However, going over last year’s manifesto of NSUI, there has not been an update as such on faculty recruitment, teaching experience certificates for researchers, setting up of a central placement cell and starting transcripts with DMCs. Singh defended that the council had worked on these issues and were all at different stages. Recruitments had been halted briefly due to the issue regarding OBC reservations for teachers but have resumed now.
{{/usCountry}}“We will take our previous years manifesto into account while preparing the new one. One year is too small a term for doing everything. Our manifesto was our vision for the future, which we will continue to work on. There are things, like approval by senate, which are not in our control,” he added.
Meanwhile, other parties have presented a grim picture of the previous student council’s workings. Divyansh Thakur, the candidate from Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) who had lost to Jatinder by a margin of just 603 votes, said the council had failed in their role as a pressure group to influence PU’s workings. “The NSUI has listed initiatives like one day PUCSC student president and human library concept in their achievements but these were merely just photo-ops. The entire working of the student council last year was a dignified photo-op. They were further mired by controversies of embezzlement which is unbecoming for a student leader.”
Jhankar fest which is organised by the PUCSC was hit with allegations of financial irregularities. Singh had claimed it was due to the timing of the fest falling within the Model Code of Conduct imposed prior the Lok Sabha elections.
Former Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) president Rajat Puri had highlighted inconsistency in financial dealings of the fest. Eventually ₹70,000 was deducted from expenses after a meeting of purchase committee was held.
Speaking about this, Puri said, “We had protested the alleged corruption by NSUI. They claim to be a student party, but everyone can see that they are deeply connected with politicians and how politicians are using them and forming factions within their party.” He added that even the menstrual leave policy as of now has been notified and isn’t being implemented right now in the varsity as the approval from the senate is pending. He said they weren’t able to find even a single student who had applied for menstrual leave.