(From top) Sushil Kumar Modi, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad

Patna, Feb. 17: A search has begun for the future Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad and Sushil Kumar Modi.

The state government has hinted at the revival of students’ elections at university-level in Bihar and a committee has already been set up to look into the matter.

Students’ bodies elections in state universities have not been conducted for the past 26 years. This despite the fact that the top three leaders from the state — chief minister Nitish Kumar, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and RJD chief Lalu Prasad — are products of students’ politics.

Although Nitish was an engineering student, he was very active in students’ politics. Lalu and Modi forayed into politics as student leaders while pursuing their graduation degree at the Patna University. Lalu later became the president of the varsity students’ union and Modi was elected its general secretary. Both played an important role in the students’ movement inspired by Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan and Karpoori Thakur.

Speaking during the janata darbar at the BJP party office, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi today said that the government is serious about conducting the students’ elections. “Our government is very serious about restarting the students’ elections on campus. A committee has already been formed to look into the matter. The government does not want to keep students away from politics. In fact, we are very eager that the new generation of youths should come forward and join politics. We want new role for the students and new role models for the state.”

He further said: “Bihar has developed and we are growing fast in terms of leadership. We want good, educated people to enter politics. I am hopeful that students’ elections would start soon. At the same time, we don’t want studies to get affected because of elections and politics.”

Modi expressed his concern over the declining number of students opting for university courses. “There have been big changes in the past 20 years. Large number of students are pursuing professional courses which has resulted in the less number of students opting for university. But there are students who are interested in politics and we will make sure that they get the right platform,” stressed Modi.

The last students’ election in state varsities was held in 1984. Teachers and academics at Patna University said that the present-day politicians in the state, though very active in students’ politics during their university days, have done little to ensure student body polls.

A senior teacher from Patna University, on condition of anonymity, said: “The main reason behind not holding students’ body elections in state universities is that none of the leaders are interested in grooming second-rung of student leaders at university-level.”

The recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed J.M. Lyngdoh Committee are also making the students’ body elections more difficult. According to the committee recommendations, the age of students contesting student union elections should not be above 25 years and the candidate should have at least 75 per cent class attendance.

Moreover, the committee also suggested a ban on the use of printed posters and banners, allowing only hand-made ones to be used on campus. It put a bar on the elections expenses (maximum limit Rs 5000) and banned political donations.

Meanwhile, though students’ elections have not been held in Patna University in the past 26 years, the university still collects Rs 5 from each student for the polls at the time of admission. The money collected by the university in the past 24 years is approximately Rs 30 lakh. The fund is lying idle with the university, said a senior varsity official.

Vice-president of All India Students’ Association (AISA) Abhyuday said: “Since many years we have been demanding that students’ elections be held at the university-level. There have been many protests at the state and the district levels but the government has not taken any step. If the government is serious now, then it’s a big news for university students. When Nitish Kumar became the chief minister for the first time in 2005, he promised during the Patna University convocation that students’ elections will be held. The then President, APJ Abdul Kalam, was also present at the function but till now has been done about it.”