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Half the session without students’ representation at RU
Winners will serve for less than six months if varsity holds polls in November
The five candidates who will be elected to the Ranchi University students’ union will serve at their respective posts for less than six months — that is, if the varsity goes ahead and holds the polls.
Ranchi University officials have postponed the election, citing a delay in college admissions and Durga puja vacations. They have said that they will try to hold the elections in November, but there is no confirmation over the same.
If the elections are held, the results are likely to be out by November end, and the elected representatives will hold their posts till only May 2017, when the current academic session ends.
This has left the student unions furious —despite putting in their best efforts, the university will remain without students’ representation for half of the academic year.
“There is no point holding elections when the winners get to serve their respective posts for not even half of the academic year,” said Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) Ranchi convener Atal Pandey.
“RU doesn’t want students’ representation in running the varsity. It is obvious. They should have conducted the elections at the beginning of the academic year so that the representatives got to work for the entire year,” said National Students Union of India’s national delegate, Kumar Roshan.
All Jharkhand Student Union’s Harish Kumar said the university deliberately delayed the elections every year to ensure least possible role of student representatives in RU’s decisions.
“Even if the election is not cancelled, students would have a say only for five to six months,” Kumar said.
According to guidelines prepared by the RU administration, the students’ union election should be held in September before the students go for Durga Puja vacations. However, the admission process in several colleges got delayed this year after the varsity started two shifts of classes, RU spokesperson Prakash Jha said.
RU has conducted only two students’ union elections since its formation in 1962 — in 1987 and 2007.
