This is an archive article published on October 25, 2022
Campus Talk: Maharashtra students’ bodies demand to restart campus elections
The demand comes at a time when the Mumbai University is in the process of reforming its executive bodies such as the senate, management and the academic council.
The demand comes at a time when the Mumbai University is in the process of reforming its executive bodies such as the senate, management and the academic council. (File photo)
Students’ organisations in Maharashtra are once again demanding to bring back campus elections, more so after Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) managed to hold a peaceful election last week.
The demand comes at a time when the Mumbai University is in the process of reforming its executive bodies such as the senate, management and the academic council.
While students’ organisations are writing to the authorities, many have raised a question — if students’ elections are possible in central institutes such as TISS, then why not state universities such as Mumbai University?
Siddharth Ingle, president of the Maharashtra Students’ Union (MSU), said, “Having an elected voice from amongst themselves is very important for the students to ensure their issues are resolved. And this is not possible without student elections. But the government has shown no interest in providing youngsters with a platform to raise their voices against issues faced by them.”
MSU has been repeatedly demanding to bring back student elections on campuses in Maharashtra. The outfit has also written a letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
According to students’ organisations, it is impossible to have an effective young generation of leaders without campus elections. “Young faces from political families are enforced on youngsters as their leaders. Whereas, we require leaders who rise from among the students and have abilities to understand and raise issues faced by the students,” said Sachin Manwadkar, Maharashtra president of the Ambedkar Students Association. Manwadkar’s outfit has been working to mobilise different students’ organisations to raise a collective voice to bring back student elections.
The students’ elections were banned in Maharashtra in the year 1993, following a spate of violent instances. In 1989, Owen D’Souza, a candidate of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) in Mithibai College, had died in an incident of campus violence and it led to the amendment of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act 1974 which banned political posters and banners on campuses.
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However, following the 2016 amendment in the Act, in 2019, Mumbai University had released a schedule to conduct students’ elections but eventually, the students’ council was formed by nominations alone.
Aamir Kazi, Mumbai Secretary of the All-India Students Federation (AISF), said, “The members of the councils had to be nominated because of a prolonged delay due to firstly the assembly polls and then the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that normalcy has been restored and central institutes, such as TISS, are resuming students’ elections, it is time that even state universities review the situation.”
While a repeat of violence is feared by many when it comes to bringing back student polls, Rohit Dhale of the Chatra Bharati Vidyarthi Sangathana, a students’ organisation, said, “It is important for political parties to know that campus elections are not platforms for muscle or money power. It can be ensured via strict code-of-conduct for campus elections, just like the way such elections are being conducted in central universities and in other states.”
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
Expertise
Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting.
Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive:
Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses).
Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers.
Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis).
Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students.
Credentials & Trustworthiness
Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized.
Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families.
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