Mumbai varsity begins process of forming students’ councils

By the time the councils are formed, most of the postgraduation departments and colleges would be well into the second term of the academic year

The University of Mumbai (MU) has started the process of forming students’ councils for the varsity and its affiliated colleges through nomination, as the elections were rescheduled for the next academic year.

Mumbai...20th January 2011... Mumbai University - HT Photo by Hemant Padalkar (Hindustan Times)

Last week, the Mumbai university released a circular announcing the schedule to form University Departments’ Students’ Councils, College Students’ Councils and University Students’ Councils — the three statutory student
bodies.

However, by the time the councils will be formed, most of the postgraduation departments and colleges would be well into the second term of the academic year. “The state government has asked us to finish the process by the end of February,” said a university official.

The state, in March last year, replaced Maharashtra Universities Act 1994 with Maharashtra Public Universities Act 2016, which reintroduced student body elections in the state. But the state is yet to issue statutes (by-laws) for the election process to uncertainty over the formation of student bodies.

Facing a few hurdles in transitioning to the new act, the government in November issued an ordinance to make temporary amendments to the law. The election process for forming students bodies was replaced with the old nomination process.

Meanwhile, student organisations have criticised the delay in introducing student body elections.

“It has been three years since the government announced student elections, but there’s no ordinance to that effect yet. This is not the way,” said Ravi Jaiswal, Mumbai city president, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The claim made by the ABVP was countered by its rival students’ union.

“The government rescheduled the elections after ABVP faced defeats in several central universities in this academic year,” said Vipin Singh, city president, National Students Union of India (NSUI).