From ₹150 grant in 1947 to Delhi University’s key student body: A look at DUSU's evolution

DUSU traces its origins to August 6, 1947, when the DU VC informed the Executive Council that students desired to establish a university students' union.

As vote counting for the DUSU polls is underway on Saturday, the story of how the Delhi University Students' Union came into being offers a glimpse into the humble beginnings of one of the country's most prominent student bodies.

Voting for the 2026 DUSU elections was held on September 18, with counting beginning at 8 am on Saturday at North Campus. (File Photo)

DUSU traces its origins to August 6, 1947, just days before India's Independence, when the university's vice-chancellor informed the Executive Council that a representative body of students desired to establish a university students' union.

The Council agreed in principle, noting that a committee would draft the necessary constitution and procedure, and proposed a small grant of ₹150 for the union's preliminary expenses once it was formally constituted. That proposal, made just before midnight on August 15, 1947, marked the start of an institutional journey that would eventually turn DUSU into the representative body for students from most Delhi University colleges and faculties, and a key arena of campus politics that draws national attention.

In the early years, the union's functioning and finances remained uncertain.

On March 27, 1953, the university's Executive Committee considered an application from the University Students' Union for a grant-in-aid, observing that the body should strive to become self-sufficient after already receiving ₹500 that year.

By March 14, 1954, the financial strain was more apparent: The union had incurred expenditure of ₹1,995 against an income of only ₹815. In the same meeting, the vice-chancellor noted that a constitution had been given to DUSU and that elections had been held for the first time.

He proposed a caretaker committee to run the union until the next academic year, with a cap on new expenditure until August 1954 and a grant of up to ₹1,100 to meet already incurred costs, subject to approval of bills by the union's treasurer.

These early records show efforts to give the student body an institutional footing, from financial accountability to administrative oversight. The constitutional structure of DUSU came under renewed consideration nearly two decades later.

On August 2, 1973, the Executive Council considered the "abrogation of the existing constitution and promulgation of an interim constitution" for the union. The interim constitution imposed financial controls; initially, expenditures above ₹100 required authorisation by the union's Executive Committee.

It also established a detailed administrative structure: The vice-chancellor was designated patron of DUSU, responsible for ensuring the union functioned in accordance with the constitution. The union's structure also included a staff adviser, appointed by the patron from among the teaching faculty, and a treasurer whom the patron also appointed.

The constitution provided for four elected office-bearers -- president, vice-president, secretary, and assistant secretary -- to be directly elected by DUSU members by simple majority. The president was the chief executive, while the vice-president performed the president's functions in his or her absence.

The secretary was to act in consultation with the president and function in all matters relating to the union in accordance with the constitution. For decades, the DUSU subscription fee remained modest.

Students paid ₹5 as the DUSU subscription fee until 2012-13. University officials said the fee was revised to ₹20 in 2013-14 and later increased to ₹40 on June 21, 2024. Nearly eight decades after that first proposal was presented to the Executive Council, DUSU has grown into one of the country's most prominent student representative bodies.

Its elections have produced leaders who have gone on to play significant roles in public life.

This year's election, with voting held on September 18, is the latest chapter in that history. Counting began at 8 am at the Multipurpose Hall of the University Sports Stadium in North Campus, with entry through gate number 2, according to the official notification.

The contest for the four central panel posts features major contenders like the RSS-affiliated ABVP, Congress-backed NSUI and the Left alliance of AISA-SFI.

Issues such as student safety, accommodation and campus facilities dominated the campaign, especially following the collapse of a five-storey building housing a boys' PG in south Delhi's Satya Niketan, which claimed the lives of seven people, including students.

ABVP has fielded Yash Dabas for president, Ishu Maurya for vice-president, Riya Chhawadi for secretary and Lakshya Raj Singh for joint secretary. The NSUI has nominated Vijay Shankar Meena for president, Vir Chatrath for vice-president, Namrata Chaudhary for secretary and Gopal Choudhary for joint secretary.

The AISA-SFI alliance has nominated Ananya Raturi for president, Akshat Shikhar for vice-president, Stanzin Deskyong for secretary and B Parijaat for joint secretary.

The evolution of DUSU -- from a small grant and a caretaker committee to a nationally watched electoral exercise -- mirrors the changing nature of student politics and representation at Delhi University.