Proposal mooted to hold student polls in Sept-end at Panjab University

Proposed dates for the Panjab University Campus Students Council are September 23 or 30, but a final call is yet to be taken

A Panjab University official said on Tuesday that the dean students’ welfare’s office has proposed the last week of September as a suitable time-frame to hold the student council elections. However, the date has not been finalised yet, the official said.

Chandigarh SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal addressing a meeting at Panjab University on Tuesday. (HT)

The elections haven’t been conducted since the term of the outgoing Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) ended on May 31, 2020, as the varsity had switched to virtual classrooms amid the pandemic.

With preparations on in full swing, no student body seems to have an obvious edge so far, as most candidates will be contesting the polls for the first time. Almost all the student bodies are doing the groundwork to reach the maximum number voters.

The pandemic had come as a setback for student bodies and this year’s elections are likely to be closely contested.

In 2019 polls, Chetan Chaudhary of Student Organisation of India (SOI) was elected the president of PUCSC and before that, Kanupriya from Students For Society (SFS) became the first woman president of PUCSC in 2018.

The university authorities have also started preparations to conduct the polls. Chandigarh senior superintendent of police Kuldeep Singh Chahal chaired a meeting at the varsity’s senate hall on Tuesday, where maintenance of law and order during the elections was discussed.

The meeting was attended by dean students’ welfare (DSW) Jagtar Singh; Roopali Garg, DSW (women); Ashok Kumar, associate DSW; Shruti Arora, SP city, Chandigarh; Gurmukh Singh, DSP central, Chandigarh and Jasbir Singh, station house officer at Sector 11 police station.

As per an official communiqué , it was stated during the meeting that outsiders’ entry to the campus will not be allowed and different students’ organisations should cooperate with the university in this regard. Moreover, the student organisation concerned will be held responsible if they bring outsiders on campus.

“Student Organisations should maintain a peaceful and violence free atmosphere at the campus. They should not bring a person of criminal nature to the campus and the university students should always carry their identity cards with them,” PU announced.