Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Wednesday directed the Vice Chancellors of the universities, Principals of the colleges, Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to ensure adequate safety and security arrangements during the students' union elections on October 17 in the state.
The Chief Minister was addressing them through a video conferencing at Chandigarh. The Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education, Jyoti Arora and Director General of Police, BS Sandhu were also present during the video conferencing.
Manohar Lal said that after a long period of 22 years, the present government has taken initiative to conduct the students' union elections in the state.
No other previous government ever considered about conducting the elections of the students' union, he said.
On the basis of the recommendations of the report of Lyngdoh Committee, the Students Election if conducted after a very long period, which is 22 years in Haryana, these can be conducted only indirectly. This year, the Government has decided to conduct it as per the recommendations of the Committee, the Chief Minister said.
The students’ union elections were banned by the then Chief Minister, Bansi Lal, in 1996 in view of the unruly and violent behavior of some students group at that time.
He instructed the officers to ensure that full security and safety measures are taken for smooth and peaceful conduct of student's union elections like that of Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said that the primary task of district administration and police would be to ensure that the elections are held peacefully.
It should also be ensured that anti-social elements are prevented to enter any educational institution so as to avoid any untoward incident. For this, the CCTV cameras should be installed at the educational institutions and the entire election process should be videographed. In addition, a state-level control room has been established for providing assistance, he said.
The Chief Minister was apprised that the student union elections will be held in all the 293 colleges affiliated to all the state universities.
About 4.50 lakh students are likely to participate in these election.
The students desirous to contest for class representatives would have to submit their nominations in their respective colleges. The elections would be held in those colleges and universities which are functional for the last more than three years. This year, the elections would not be held in B.Ed colleges.
Protesting against the government’s move to hold indirect elections to students’ unions, the students’ outfits like INSO, SFI, INSO and others have announced to hold strike in all universities and colleges of Haryana on October 12.