The Supreme Court has refused to hear the demand for holding student union elections in universities across the country. It was said in the petition that in 2006, the Supreme Court had accepted the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee and had ordered student union elections on its basis in future, but elections are not being held in many universities.
The petition of lawyer Shiv Kumar Tripathi and two former student leaders was heard in the bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. At the very beginning of the hearing, the judges asked what was the purpose of the petition? Why should the Supreme Court interfere in whether elections are being held in universities or not?
The petitioner’s lawyer said that he is only demanding compliance with the court order in the University of Kerala case. Student unions work for the interest of students. With his election new leaders will emerge in the country. This is also important for democracy.
The judge seemed unimpressed by the arguments of the petitioner’s lawyer. He described the petition as filed for publicity. The Chief Justice said that people should not increase the burden on the court by filing unnecessary petitions. The court said that the petitioner seems interested in making the college campus a political arena. With these comments the court rejected the petition.
Keep in mind that the order was given in 2006 to remove irregularities in the University and College Students Union elections. Through this order, it was ensured that people who remained in the university till middle age just for the sake of leadership were thrown out. Only students who are serious about their studies and have at least 75 percent attendance should contest elections.
The order of the Supreme Court was given on the basis of the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee, in which it was also said that student union elections should be conducted regularly. The petitioner said that the state governments have either postponed the student union elections indefinitely or postponed them completely. State governments and universities are committing contempt by not following the court’s order.
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