Panjab University Student’s council elections: ‘Bachon ko CM, PM banane ki baat baad mein karo, pehle hostels mein paani or light to dedo’

A fifth-year student of BA LLB,

In photo: Yuvraj Garg.

was born and raised in Punjab’s Bathinda. He came to Chandigarh to pursue a degree in law at the University Institute of Legal Studies in 2019. Apart from the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, he has stayed at the hostel throughout the duration of his course.

The SOI presidential candidate said he aspires to join the judiciary. “I do not have any political aspirations and I am fighting the election for student welfare and nothing else,” he added.

Problems at PU

Providing basic amenities like water, and power in hostels, and ensuring better connectivity between the north and the south campuses are key issues concerning student welfare, said Garg.

“I am a boarder myself and so I know well what problems the students are facing. Student welfare is my sole priority. Students do not even get basic amenities here,” Garg stated.

“On the south campus, there is no power for three to four hours every day. Connectivity is another key issue. No autorickshaw driver wants to go to the south campus from the north,” he added.

If elected, Garg said he would make sure that the authorities work for student welfare.

Garg took a potshot at AAP leaders and alleged that the latter have been campaigning for the party’s student wing candidates in the Panjab University polls.

“Would it look wise if (Sukhbir) Badal ji comes here with his Z-plus security to convince the students… The AAP leaders from Punjab have left their constituencies to campaign for their candidates here,” he added.

The SOI is the student wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal and it has an alliance with the INSO (Indian National Students Organisation) and the HPSU (Himachal Pradesh Students Union) for the Panjab University polls.

Poll pitch: The SOI candidate said he would take along all sections of students while making decisions.

MPs, MLAs from outside should not decide fate of students: SFS presidential candidate

MPs and MLAs from outside should not decide the fate of university students, according to Prateek Kumar, Students For Society (SFS) presidential candidate for the September 6 Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) polls.

He said it is the election for students’ welfare, and only students not affiliated with any political party know the real issues they face. He stated that many field dummy candidates to ensure their political party’s edge.

Here’s a look at Kumar’s promises, the solutions he aims to provide and his poll pitch.

Name: Prateek Kumar

Party: Students For Society (SFS)

Qualification: Fourth year of mechanical engineering

About him: Kumar was born in Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana but was raised in Rajasthan. He took admission to the university’s Institute of Engineering and Technology, and came to Chandigarh four years ago.

In photo: Prateek Kumar

What ails PU: “Educational courses have become out of bounds for middle-class students due to the high fees. Initially, these courses used to be out of pocket for the lower-middle class, but every year, the way they are hiking the fee for all the courses, it has become difficult for a middle-class student,” he said, adding that turning self-financed courses into regular courses is what he is looking forward to.

Solutions: Prateek said he would ensure the authorities have a fixed fee structure that does not increase yearly. “Education should not be made out of access. Through proper coordination with the authorities, I will ensure a fixed fee structure in place,” Prateek said.

Poll pitch: Prateek stated, “MPs and MLAs from outside should not be deciding the fate of university students.”

“I would say this student election should have student participation entirely. Bahar ke MPs, MLAs decide na karen…They pitch in dummy candidates who are not concerned with students’ issues… It is a student-related election, and these outsiders should not be deciding the fate of the university students,” he said.

Prateek added that some political parties are getting their MPs and MLAs “who are coming with their security and VIP culture is being promoted (on the campus)”.

I’m not a dummy candidate, says NSUI contender

Name: Jatinder Singh

Party: National Students’ Union of India (student wing of the Congress)

Qualification: Research scholar

About him: Jatinder is from Punjab. He was born and raised in Bathinda but has settled in Chandigarh for 10 years. He says he enjoys listening to podcasts and interviews, and works for his new startup.

What ails PU: Jatinder said fake promises by other parties and no proper platform to help students are what ails the university.

Solutions: Jatinder looks forward to getting a system of having menstrual leave for girls. He also aims to introduce a unique chance for final-year students with a fee of just Rs 2,500, and create a PUCSC website with immediate effect. He said he would ensure that offering research scholars a stipend would be made easier.

Poll pitch: “I am not a dummy candidate. I’ve pursued BTech, a Masters and now PhD from this university. I’ve been with different student groups for years. I’m here with a plan and to stand for justice. I’m here to take students’ voices forward,” Jatinder said.

Parties aati jaati rahengi, university rehni chaeye:

Independent candidate: Saksham Singh

Saksham Singh, an Independent presidential candidate for Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) polls told The Indian Express that he would like to introduce weekly counselling sessions for students if he gets elected.

In photo: Saksham Singh.

Candidate profile

A fourth-year student, Singh said the university is in dire need of a “combined placement cell”.

Born and raised in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Saksham moved to Chandigarh for higher studies. He is currently pursuing a dual degree (chemical engineering with MBA) at the Chandigarh-based university. Singh said he has marketing, communication, and managerial skills. The bright student had earlier launched a small start-up firm but closed it down to focus on his studies.

“I wanted to contest to show that student leaders should not be inclined towards the ideology of any political party. Student politics should be for the students, by the students and of the students,” he said.

Problems at PU

“Various departments have their own placement cells and they keep contacting different companies for placement opportunities. Sometimes they hear back from the companies, and sometimes they do not. I want to start a combined placement cell,” said Singh.

The Independent candidate wants to start counselling sessions for students as “there are issues concerning the mental health of students”.

What are the solutions: For Saksham, mental health of students — both men and women — is equally important. He aims to have a counsellor so as to deal with providing good guidance to students who have stress taking a toll on their lives. “I would say men’s section is the worst and If I win, I will aim that there is a separate counsellor’s specific class every week for all the classes. I will try if I can get that incorporated.”

Poll pitch: “Vote for the candidate, not the party,” he said. “Like Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji once said, ‘Political parties will come and go… But the country must remain.’ Similarly, the university must remain irrespective of parties,” the contestant signed off.

PUSU leader pitches for making students job-ready

“I am not a puppet in the hands of other political leaders. Their interference in the Panjab University has increased manifold,” said Davinder Pal Singh, who is contesting for the presidential post from his party Panjab University Students’ Union (PUSU).

Here’s more about Davinder Pal Singh, his poll promises and the solutions he has in mind:

Name: Davinder Pal Singh

Party: PUSU

Qualifications: First year of MPharma after completing BPharma.

About him: Davinder Pal Singh who was born in Chandigarh itself took admission in the Panjab University in 2019 in the BPharma course. After completing the course, he has now taken admission in the MPharma course in 2023. Davinder has keen interest in journalism and has also contributed for the PU Pulse, the youth run platform.

What ails PU: For Davinder, there are multiple issues ailing Panjab University. He stated that ensuring proper placements of students, making students’ job ready, getting a skill development centre, discouraging the increasing VIP culture is what he feels should require immediate action. While speaking on condition in hostels, he said, “Bachon ko CM PM banane ki baat baad mein karo, pehle hostels mein paani or light to dedo.”

“Our education system is outdated. We should make all the students job-ready. This would help them bridge the gap between the job requirements and the education they are obtaining,” Davinder added.

Solutions: Davinder says that he will make sure that the classes to make students ready for jobs, proper placements be started. “Through proper coordination with the authorities, this is one thing I will certainly do, apart from discouraging this culture of VIP passes even for the star night,” he stated.

Poll Pitch: “I am not a puppet in the hands of other political leaders. Rather there should be no interference of political leaders. What is their work at PU? This election is for students’ welfare. Instead of focusing on their constituency, they are putting in money and muscle power all in PU. Students should vote for me on the basis of my vision for them, not on national issues, religion, race the others are discussing,” he says.

‘Kisan ka beta hun mehnat se kaam karunga aapke liye’

A national karate player Rakesh Deshwal who is contesting for the presidential post says “Kisan ka beta hun, mehnat se kaam karunga aapke liye. Aapke beech reh ke kaam kiya hai 24X7”.

Name: Rakesh Deshwal

Party: ABVP

Qualifications: LLM first-year

About him: Rakesh Deshwal hails from Panipat in Haryana. It was in 2019 that he took admission in the law course of the Panjab University, Chandigarh, that is University Institute of Legal Studies. A national karate player, state football player and state cricket player, Rakesh says that he has been with the students 24X7. A hosteller, Rakesh says that sports is his hobby and he has been the sports secretary for the last three years.

What ails PU: Rakesh says that the campus has been facing issues for the last 10 years. “Interestingly, there have been just hollow promises. For the last 10 years, no one has worked diligently for the students. Nothing has been done for women safety. There is no 24/7 pharmacy for the students. So much so even the central students placement cell is closed. The teacher strength is such that scholars are teaching the students in the absence of actual teachers and all this needs to be addressed,” he said.

Solutions: Rakesh says that he aims to get “heritage status for PU” as that way “it would help them get funds and grants for the institution”.

“If we get the heritage status tag for the university, we can get in grants as funds is the key issue that the authorities cite for any issue. Not just the renovation of certain buildings can be carried out but a lot many problems can be solved,” he added.

Poll Pitch: “I have been with the students 24X7, be it for women safety or security or when there used to be thefts of their laptops in the boys’ hostel. I have been with the students and I understand their problems. Not that I have been fielded just a month ago and informed that prepare for the polls. Neither I am an accidental candidate nor a dummy one,” he added.

‘Varsity is suffering from bureaucratic inertia’

Divyansh Thakur, the presidential candidate for CYSS (Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti) says that Panjab University is really suffering from “bureaucratic inertia” and that is what he “really wants to change”.

Name: DIVYANSH THAKUR

PARTY: CYSS, student wing of Aam aadmi party

About him: Divyansh is pursuing his PHD from department of anthropology at the Panjab University. He hails from Hamirpur and took admission in the Panjab University in 2016 in BSc honors. Thakur says he has fondness for poetry and also composes music.

What ails PU: Bureaucratic inertia is what he says ails PU. “A file keeps moving for 70 times and there is absolutely no end to this bureaucratic inertia. So digital movement of files is what is required. Moroever, I know the issues here which every student is grappling with. I have been here for almost eight years now. Also, there needs to be more of cultural events ,” he said.

Solutions: A cultural environment, digital movement of files, central placement cell along with the working on student faculty ratio is what he says will work on in coordination with the PU authorities.

Poll pitch: “I have worked for the student welfare for eight years and I know what are the real student issues,” he says.