Student organisations renew push for JNUSU polls, V-C says not till admissions are complete

The administration, however, has doubled down on its stand that elections cannot be held unless the admission process is complete, including PhD admissions.

JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said on Monday, “How can we issue a notification (for election) without admissions taking place? We are a central university and we have to go as per the rules. All students have to come in… MA results are also not out yet. Legally, there is no JNUSU now. There is no Union, so who will hold the GBM (general body meeting that is to be held ahead of the election)? The administration cannot do anything till admissions are over.”

The V-C added that the GBM “must represent all students”. “Elections will be conducted as per rules and SC-approved Lyndoh recommendations,” she said.

A delegation of parties that signed the communication met the Dean of Students Monday and asked for a response in 48 hours.

“As per the existing norms and procedure followed by JNU to conduct JNUSU election after 2012, the Dean of Students releases a notification initiating the student union elections as per the JNUSU constitution, relevant Supreme Court Orders, and past practice as followed till the JNUSU Elections 2019-20,” the written representation noted.

The JNUSU held an ‘all-organisation meeting’ on Sunday to discuss the commencement of the process for the elections. The summary of the minutes of the meeting noted that “last year, despite relaxed Covid-related norms and the return to usual functioning of the University, the JNU administration has deliberately stalled the conduct of JNUSU elections”.

Ananya Kumar, secretary, SFI, JNU unit, said, “At the meeting, it was unanimously decided that we will be pushing for elections as soon as possible and we will not be falling into the trap of the JNU administration saying that we will have it once PhD students come in. PhD students have been coming in by January and February. It’s a long-pending election. The ABVP had boycotted the meeting because they also refuse to recognise the Union that is there.”

Md Danish, JNUSU joint secretary, said, “The same concern (over incomplete admission process) has been going on for the past two years. We are asking that the election happen this year so that the students who are enrolled can vote. The Dean of Students would have to first issue a notification on the election, and then a GBM can be held.”

The representation sent to the administration noted: “The JNUSU elections have not been held in JNU after 2019-20. The blame lies squarely on the university administration as it did not allow students to hold elections by parallelly holding multiple and divergent academic sessions. Students were deprived of their right to participate in and contest the elections for three years.”

On not attending the all-organisation meeting, Umesh Chandra Ajmeera, ABVP President, JNU, said, “There is no JNUSU now legally. According to the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, the Union is elected only for one year. We also want the election to be held as soon as possible.”