WB Government Asked to Submit Affidavit on Student Union Polls: HC Directive

Quick Summary:

• The Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government to file an affidavit within two weeks regarding student union elections and urged immediate initiation of the election process.
• The order relates to a 2023 PIL filed by advocate sayan Banerjee,pushing for resuming student union elections and reinstating anti-ragging committees across public universities in the State.
• Student union elections in West Bengal stopped before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020; students at Jadavpur University have protested over delays.
• The court advised expediting elections and restricted governing bodies’ political influence while recommending inclusion of renowned academicians.
• Many higher education institutions lack Vice-Chancellors, which is cited as a challenge for conducting polls, though the court insisted on commencing elections where V-Cs are present.
• Separate incidents linked to governance issues in education have come up: Trinamool MLA ashok deb chairs South Calcutta Law College’s governing body, amid allegations involving ex-student employee Monojit Mishra accused of rape with ties to ruling circles.

Indian Opinion Analysis:
The High Court’s intervention underscores critical governance challenges in West Bengal’s higher education system, including delays caused by administrative inefficiencies and political influences on decision-making processes, such as student union election suspension since 2020. While reopening these democratic mechanisms might alleviate campus unrest highlighted by recent protests at Jadavpur University, systematic reform is significant to ensure fair representation and accountability without external pressures or undue influence from past office-bearers.

Moreover, calls for minimizing political engagement within university governing bodies resonate strongly amid controversies like those surrounding South Calcutta Law College’s administration structure tied to alleged misconduct cases implicating individuals with supposed political associations.

This development holds meaning for restoring trust among students while addressing broader issues of institutional clarity; however,vigilance is required during implementation given historical tendencies toward politicization evident both institutionally and legislatively within educational frameworks statewide.

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