Notwithstanding widespread protests and demand for conducting direct elections to form Students’ Union, the Ravenshaw University authorities are determined to implement their new model of decentralised elections to form a Students’ Council this year to represent the students in the academic affairs of the university.
After last week’s announcement of adopting the new model, Vice-Chancellor Prakash Chandra Sarangi on Wednesday disclosed about an amendment to the alternative model.
“There will be a Presidium at the university level with all conveners and deputy conveners of different schools,” Prof Sarangi said, adding that the Presidium would meet once in a month in the Students’ Council office to discuss matters relating to the university.
He said the conveners of different schools would chair the meeting of the council on a rotation basis and the Advisor of the Students’ Council would coordinate the meetings of the Presidium.
The new model suggests for having separate direct elections among the students of the university’s nine different schools to elect their respective class representatives. The elected class representatives would elect from themselves a Convener and a Deputy Convener.
Similarly, elected class representatives would also elect themselves as office-bearers to manage different societies like Athletics, Dramatic, Day Scholar Association and Social Service Guild.
The new model is aimed at curbing election-related violence in the campus.