Patna University

Patna, Oct. 27: Students of universities across the state often have to resort to indiscipline and risk punishment even if they have genuine grievances. For, there are no elected unions at most educational institutes to represent them.

In April 2010, the high court directed the state government and Raj Bhavan to conduct students’ body elections according to the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines. According to the proposals of the committee, the college or university topper should be nominated as the president of the students’ union.

Though a year-and-a-half has passed, none of the educational institutes have taken any steps to conduct student elections. In Patna University, elections have not been conducted for the past 27 years.

While students slammed the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities, teachers, too, claimed that students’ election were essential for the smooth functioning of colleges and universities.

“For a democratic set-up in the university, students’ body elections should be held at regular level,” said Randhir Kumar Singh, general secretary, Patna University Teachers’ Association.

He added: “It is pathetic that no students’ election has been held in PU since 1984. The university has produced some of the finest leaders in the country, including Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad and Sushil Kumar Modi and others.”

JD (U) students’ wing president Ranjan Kumar said: “Other universities, like Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, students election is very important. We should have elections in the state varsities as well.”

University authorities, however, claimed that elections could not be held according to the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines because of vehement protest by some students’ bodies.

Explaining the reasons for their opposition to the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, Sushil Kumar, the general secretary of All India Students’ Federation (AISF) said: “The norms of Lyngdoh Committee does not speak of elections of students’ bodies. It refers to nomination of the college topper as union president. By that logic, the topper for a civil services examination should be the Prime Minister.”

The leaders of political parties, however, have time and again promised elections in the university. Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi had promised university elections a few months back.