Delhi University is to implement stronger safeguards to prevent the use of “money and muscle power” in student union elections, following concerns in this year’s polls that resulted in a Delhi High Court intervention.
A poll reform committee convened on Tuesday to explore potential methods to reduce frequent breaches of election norms, such as candidate overspending and widespread defacement of public property.
The committee also deliberated on reserving seats for women in the student union elections.
This year, DU faced criticism from the court for failing to enforce Lyngdoh Committee guidelines and National Green Tribunal (NGT) rules.
Large-scale graffiti and posters plastered across public spaces and university walls led to complaints, prompting the court to order the varsity to compensate civic agencies for the cleanup costs.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has since demanded a compensation of ₹1 crore, citing the extensive cleanup undertaken across its 12 zones.
“A major concern discussed in the meeting was the defacement of public property during elections, which drew the court’s directives,” said a DU official on condition of anonymity.
“We are exploring reform measures to address these issues, but they are still in the deliberation stage and will require further meetings to establish clear policies,” the official added.
The Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, established to ensure fair and responsible conduct in student elections, limit campaign spending to ₹5,000 per candidate. However, candidates are frequently seen flouting this rule with high-end cars, oversized banners, and expensive promotional materials, which undermine the guidelines’ purpose.
This year’s elections witnessed a torrent of printed posters and banners on DU campuses, despite severe prohibitions against such items.
To address these difficulties, DU intends to increase rule enforcement and is likely to submit a report to the court on November 11, when the case is scheduled to be heard.
The DUSU election results have been delayed for almost a month owing to a court order that requires the defacement to be cleared before they can be revealed. This is the first time the results have been postponed.
The elections were held on September 27, with the results set to be published on September 28.
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Source: HT
