In Panjab University: Votes increase,voters decline

In the past three years from 2007,while enrollments increased from 9,700 to 12,500,the voting percentage declined from 59 to 53.

This year,the number of voters on the campus has touched the 13,300-mark but university authorities and student bodies are less optimistic of seeing any improvement and hope it will touch the 50 per cent-mark,when students cast their votes on Friday.

“The attendance of students in departments and hostels has gone down prior to the elections. Students are alleging that it was a planned move by the authorities which was not. We did not intend or plan the elections to be interspersed between holidays. It all happened on its own ,” said Dean Students’ Welfare A S Ahluwalia.

“Amidst the ongoing Anna Hazare protests,we were sceptical the elections will be scheduled on September 2 or 3 but the UT Administration and police agreed to it,” he said.

Authorities said efforts were being made to maintain a peaceful environment on the campus so that students participate in the electoral process.“Due to several incidents of violence over the previous years,students,especially girls and freshers,have a fear and thus do not participate. We have made a beginning in changing this perception among students. I am not against the Open House and would like to revive it in the coming years with some conditions for the candidates,” Ahluwalia said.

In the past five years,as many as 65 new courses have been added in the university,increasing the number of students. This year,the reserved seat for single girl child in each course was increased from one to two,thus increasing the presence of girls on the campus.