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A third-year student at the University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Seerat is excited about her nomination to fight for the president’s post in the PUCSC elections, by the Students Organisation of India (SOI), which for the first time has chosen a woman candidate for the post. Born and brought up in Chandigarh, Seerat has been pursuing electronics engineering from UIET, and has been part of SOI since 2023, and says she has learnt a lot in these years with the organisation. “I saw the members do real groundwork for students, and I see this as a big opportunity, for despite such a high percentage of women students at PU, the representation in active politics is less, though they support women candidates, yet not many come to the forefront. My parents have encouraged and supported me in this journey, and I am very keen to make a mark,” says Seerat. On her priority list is promoting the research culture and facilities at PU, a central cell that addresses harassment against women, reservation of at least one seat for women in the elections, updated software and books for academics, and maintenance and upgradation of infrastructure.
“PU was among the top 10 universities in research, but over the years, the ranking has slipped, and we need to address this by providing students with upgraded e-books, software and textbooks. Women have nobody that resolves their issues of harassment, and I believe PU should be solely responsible for addressing the complaints and offering quick resolutions. For the security and safety of women, more cameras and guards are needed, especially on the south campus, which houses three hostels. The infrastructure is not maintained, for instance, the sanitary pad machines in washrooms and hostels are not working, and these common issues need immediate redressal,” says Seerat.
The Ambedkar Students Forum, PU, announced Navneet Kaur as its presidential candidate, a responsibility she is all set to face with both confidence and gusto. A first-year student at the University Institute of Legal Studies, the forum is fighting for only one post, the president. “From 2001 to 2023, ASF has worked like an NGO, and since last year, ASF has decided to contest the elections with a motto to create change on campus. I completely align with the philosophy of ASF and have worked on the ground level for the welfare of students, and this is a great opportunity. I am very excited to work with the experienced members. My father has followed the ideology of B R Ambedkar, and we, since childhood, have been inspired by his work,” says Navneet, who belongs to Khanna, and says her parents have encouraged her to fight the elections.
Navneet says her work is cut out, as she, with members of ASF, strives to work towards improving facilities for women in hostels. “Water leakage is a persistent issue in hostel number 1, and students face a lot of problems. We hope that the authorities will work on the repairs of all the hostels, and also the hygiene standards.”
Navneet says it is very important for women to be in positions of power, for only then is change possible. “The culture of gheris has to be stopped on campus, for women feel unsafe, and women’s security is an area we are very concerned about and focused on,” adds Navneet, who in the future wants to take the judiciary exams.
The Students’ Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU), which has been active since 1997, declared Ardaas Kaur, a student of the Fashion Department, as its candidate for the post of president. Ardaas, who belongs to Chandigarh, says that it has always been her dream to play an active role in the university elections. “I am very happy, and my prayers have been answered by being chosen as the presidential candidate. If elected, I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the progress of PU and will work tirelessly, along with the team, for the welfare and betterment of the students. Since my BSc first year, I felt that there was a need for women candidates to lead from the front and be in active politics. However, until now, I have not been aligned with the mindset of different student organisations. But the manifesto of SOPU is for the students, and I am completely connected with it. I want to work for the betterment of students and address the grievances of women in hostels that lack basic amenities. Despite more than 60 per cent of women students at PU, women don’t come forward in politics, as they don’t get a chance. I represent women students on campus, and am very confident about myself,” says Ardaas.
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