n With the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls slated for September 27, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and AISA-SFI’s Left alliance released their manifestos here on Saturday. All three manifestos focus on some common key issues faced by the students such as preventing fee hikes, increasing the number of hostels, concession in metro fare for DU students, and shuttle bus services, among others.
Titled "My DU, My Manifesto", the document addresses key issues such as the admission process, campus infrastructure, examinations and employment-oriented education. It also highlights plans to create a better grievance redressal system and improve safety measures for the students.It also focuses on implementing employment-oriented education, creating an inclusive and comprehensive grievance redressal system, and providing visionary leadership to ensure a positive and safe academic environment at Delhi University. In its manifesto for postgraduate students, ABVP has proposed a “One Course, One Fee” structure, the formation of Internal Complaints Committees and Gender Sensitization Cells in every college, the availability of gynaecologists and psychological counsellors, an integrated hostel allocation process for PG students, the appointment of coordinators to coordinate between University and college placement cells, and conduct of large-scale job fairs by them.
The manifesto also includes a provision for a Student Representative Coordination Committee to ensure the safety of students living in off-campus hostels, increased scholarships for OBC/SC/ST students with adjustments for Dearness Allowance(DA), supplementary exams for final-year students, opportunity for viewing answer sheets at nominal price before applying for scrutiny, NCC programs for women in every college, and discounted metro passes for all students.
ABVP's DUSU presidential candidate Rishabh Chaudhary said, "We plan to implement the 'One Course, One Fee' structure for PG courses, set up high-tech reading rooms in every college and ensure campus-wide Wi-Fi."
He also mentioned the party's focus on organising job fairs and effectively implementing the National Education Policy (NEP). ABVP's vice-presidential candidate Bhanu Pratap Singh said, "Our efforts include skill development programs, internships and the introduction of industry-oriented courses." Mitravinda Karnwal, the ABVP candidate for DUSU secretary, emphasised the importance of women's safety and empowerment. "We aim to provide women's hostels in every college, set up sanitary napkin vending machines, and ensure accessible infrastructure for differently-abled students," she said. Aman Kapasia, the joint secretary candidate, highlighted plans to increase scholarships and support mental health. "We will focus on increasing scholarships for marginalized students and providing mental health counsellors in every college," he said.
The NSUI manifesto focuses on ensuring implementation of OBC reservation in hostel allotment, preventing paper leaks by eliminating loop-holes through scrapping NTA and CUET, making a violence-free campus, establishing railway reservation counter on campus for students, offering affordable mess services on all campuses round-the-clock and organizing National Youth and Sports Festival annually in the campus. In addition, the Congress-affiliated organization released a separate women’s manifesto ‘Her Manifesto’, which includes provisions for 12 days of menstrual leave for female students and other women-centric initiatives.
Speaking at the Manifesto release, NSUI president Varun Chaudhary stated, “We are confident that NSUI will secure a 4-0 victory in these elections. Each of our candidates has fought relentlessly for student rights and is deeply connected with the issues faced by the student community.
Their commitment and hard work will resonate with the electorate.”
The manifesto of AISA-SFI led alliance of left focuses on issues like Implementation of rent control policies by the government, ending mandatory attendance policy and debarment policy, revision of internal assessment policy, addition of women’s colleges like IPCW, LSR, Gargi, Daulat Ram College, JMC, Maitreyi College to DUSU panel, scrapping of bogus courses under skill enhancement and value-added courses such as Fit India, Swach Bharat and other content unrelated to the primary subject specialization.
