JNU student body dissolved; fresh poll depends on SC

After having its term extended twice, the student union of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was finally dissolved on Tuesday night.

After having its term extended twice, the student union of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was finally dissolved on Tuesday night.

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The union has handed over charge to the newly-formed election committee, in anticipation of the Supreme Court (SC) providing interim relief on the stay order on elections.

“We have filed an interim petition with the SC. We’re hoping the response will be positive. If so, then the election committee will notify elections soon,” said Sandeep Singh, former JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president.

It has been nine months since the Supreme Court ordered a stay on JNUSU for conducting annual elections for the year 2006-07 in contravention of the recommendations of the JM Lyngdoh Committee.

Though several Lyngdoh Committee suggestions — such as a budget cap of Rs 5,000 and use of handmade posters — are inherent in the student union elections here, two major recommendations -- regarding maximum age limit (28 for research scholars) and the number of times one can contest (only once) for the post of office bearers -- were not followed by JNUSU.

In the wake of the stay, the last elected body had its term extended twice and functioned for over two years.

Student politics on the campus, however, has been at an all-time low.

“The administration did not recognise this students’ union as it wasn’t newly elected,” said Bharat Kumar, JNU student and member of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).

“They were not invited to academic council meetings for inter-hostel committee meetings. Seeing this, students finally decided on dissolving the union,”he added. The students took this decision unanimously in an Urgent General Body Meeting held on February 9.