SUSPENSION IS not a disciplinary action. That’s how Lucknow University bosses relaxed the eligibility criterion for candidates contesting the forthcoming LU Students’ Union (LUSU).
Even revoked expulsion order doesn’t come under the disciplinary action category! And this dilutes the clause (no. 6.5.7) of Supreme Court interim order which many people thought would act as a weapon to keep rowdy student leaders out of the elections.
As per LU interpretation, only expulsion can be taken as comes on the purview of disciplinary action and nothing else. While announcing the eligibility criterion on Monday, LU officials explicitly said suspension is no action. If a candidate had been suspended in the past, his nomination would not stand cancelled. If an expulsion order has been revoked, he is free from all charges!
And if a candidate has been expelled from the campus and his expulsion order has been held in abeyance, he too has a legitimate right to contest elections.
The varsity has even paved the way for those candidates to contest the election against whom FIR has been lodged for defacing the wall. “Pay Rs 25,000 as fine and you would be allowed to contest election,” said a varsity official.
Thus the spirit of the Lyngdoh panel report—to let studious and common students to contest the students’ union elections—has been widely done away with. Once again those who resort to hooliganism and vandalism would contest the LUSU poll to fulfill their political aspirations would succeed in pushing the common students out from the fray.
{{/usCountry}}Thus the spirit of the Lyngdoh panel report—to let studious and common students to contest the students’ union elections—has been widely done away with. Once again those who resort to hooliganism and vandalism would contest the LUSU poll to fulfill their political aspirations would succeed in pushing the common students out from the fray.
{{/usCountry}}Election officer RBS Verma and proctor AN Singh, however, refuted the allegations. They said: “The fact that the candidate shall not have a previous criminal record, that is to say he should not have been tried and/or convicted of any criminal offence be barred from the election is quite a key deterrent factor that would see many student leaders out from election.”
According to LU officials, this is a sufficient tool to keep baddies out from contesting the students’ union poll. Says proctor: “The age factor is another important provision that would help in keeping several student leaders out from contesting elections. One cannot escape it that easily.”
For graduate students, a minimum age shall be 17 years and the maximum age limit must be 22 years. But, where graduate is the minimum qualification then the age-limit shall be equivalent to PG student, that is maximum 25 years on the date of filing of nomination. For research student, 28 years would be the upper limit. Date of birth mentioned in Class X certificate would be final.
Yet another provision is that the candidate should have 75 pc attendance.
Would LU be able to enforce it? The candidate should not have any academic backlog. That he should not have any backpaper, etc. The maximum permitted expenditure per candidate shall be Rs 5000. Each candidate shall within two weeks of the declaration of results submit complete and audited accounts to the college/university authorities.