Opinion The Third Edit: Patna University Students’ Union is now a young women’s club

In February, when BJP’s Rekha Gupta was named the Delhi chief minister, Congress’s Alka Lamba reached across the aisle with a photograph from their student-politics days in Delhi University. In 1995, Lamba had been DUSU president as an NSUI leader, while Gupta was the general secretary, representing the ABVP. Thirty years later, in another state where women’s political participation has been limited at best, the Patna University Students’ Union (PUSU) election has thrown up a memorable result: Women have claimed three of the top five positions for the first time in the university’s history.

The success of these women speaks not merely of personal achievement. As Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has said, this “reflects women’s empowerment in Bihar”, an increasing socio-economic autonomy that is a result of developmental policies such as the Jeevika programme under the Bihar Livelihood scheme, 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayat elections, and Kumar’s cycle scheme that saw increased female enrolment in educational institutions. Over the last two decades, women’s engagement with the political process has also undergone significant changes. In the 2020 Assembly election, for instance, the total turnout of female voters was 59.7 per cent, compared to 54.6 per cent male turnout. On the other hand, of the 371 women who contested the elections, only 26 were able to make it to the legislative assembly.

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From Lalu Prasad to the late Sushil Kumar Modi, PUSU elections have been the launchpad of several of Bihar’s tallest leaders who have played important roles in national politics. In an election year, the victory of these young women sends out a powerful message of a more inclusive and diverse political representation. It aligns with broader national conversations on women’s rights and participation, especially in the light of the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023. The future is a fertile field of opportunities for the gutsy women from Patna.