Expressing their solidarity with the Vice-Chancellor, the Teachers’ Council of the Ravenshaw University here on Thursday decided that the university would not resort to the old form of centralised elections to form a Students’ Union.
Instead, the university would adopt the new format of decentralised elections to form a presidium of ‘Students’ Council’.
“The teachers of the university were unanimous in this decision and many suggested that the civil society, lawyers and, if required, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Mr J M lyngdoh would be consulted to make possible amendments to the proposed alternate model of elections,” informed university Chief Council of Deans (CCD) Dr GC Nanda.
He further informed that the proposal of the Teachers’ Council would be sent to the university Executive Council for its endorsement. “Till a final decision is arrived at, students’ elections for the ongoing academic session have been kept in abeyance,” Nanda said, adding that the alternate model is the brainchild of Vice-Chancellor Prof PC Sarangi, who is an eminent scholar of political science.
Notably, the university had planned to hold elections under the new format on August 22 and 23.
But the polls were postponed after the campus witnessed protests and picketing by the students’ wings of major political parties. The students’ outfits also observed s two-day bandh on the scheduled election days.