Ranchi University

Ranchi/Jamshedpur, Nov. 11: Ranchi University (RU) again slipped in timely execution of students’ union elections in the constituent and affiliated colleges with authorities today deciding to postpone the date of polls.

Earlier, the polls were slated for November 25 at college and institute levels. RU spokesperson S.S. Akhtar told The Telegraph that the elections would be held between December 11 to December 20.

“Principals and heads of departments have requested us to defer the poll dates in wake of many other important engagements. A high-level University Grants Commission team is scheduled to visit the university between November 17 to November 20 for preparation of the 11th five-year plan and the east zone inter-university Youth Festival is also slated to take place between December 2 to December 6. These are the reasons why we have decided to defer the dates of student union elections,” said Akhtar.

After much hue and cry by the student bodies, the university had announced the date of election as November 25 dates last month.

According to Lyngdoh Committee’s directive, student union elections should be conducted within a month of the start of the new session and supposedly before August. Sources said RU’s amended statute for the purpose has given provision to conduct the election before December.

Student organisations have reacted sharply to RU’s decision to postpone the student polls. “The authorities are not serious about the students’ woes. Moreover, the student polls are only an eyewash that we have understood staying in the office for a year,” said immediate ex-president of RU Students’ Union Shyam Babu.

The nominations for the elections would also take place after December 11 and the code of conduct for the elections will be sent to the colleges within this week.

It was in 2007 that student body elections were conducted directly at the college/institutes level followed by indirect elections at university level.

The term of vice-chancellor A.A. Khan, under whom the student polls were conducted after a gap of three decades, ends in December this year. It would be interesting to see whether student union elections are conducted before Khan’s term ends.

Talking about the Youth Festival, university officials said about 1,000 students from over 30 universities across the country are expected to take part in the mega event. Although the registrations have started, the final plan about the venues, events are yet to be chalked out.

“The date was decided by Association of Indian Universities and thus cannot be postponed. We cannot take the chance of conducting the students’ elections now. This will also give the students some time to prepare for the election,” said Akhtar.

Khan says that it had not been decided which college that would represent the university in the mega event.

“We are yet to decide on the college that would be representing the university at the Youth Fest. Nothing has been planned as of now. We would definitely see that only the best makes it to the event,” said Khan.