Education dept mulls "apolitical students councils"

In a bid to contain campus violence in college and universities, the Education department is mulling the idea to bring in a new system which proposes setting up of "apolitical students councils" in various educational institutions across the state.
"There have been several instances of violence in educational institution over student body elections. So we are mulling to bring in a new model, just like St Xavier's College and Lady Brabourne College. Under this new model every college and universities will have apolitical students council with the principal and teaching staff playing a vital role. The elected students council will have no political affiliation," Education minister Partha Chatterjee said.

While underlining various other features of this new model of "apolitical students council", Chatterjee said,"If a students wants to contest they need to have 60 percentage attendance, nobody can contest a student body election more than twice, the student must not have any criminal record or case against him or her. The treasurer of this apolitical students council will be a professor and the principal will play a vital role,".
Chatterjee, however said, various other aspects of this new model are still under discussion, the final draft will be sent to Law department before being it is placed before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for final approval.

"After all necessary technicalities and approval of the CM, it will be placed in the state cabinet," he said.
Several instances of clashes between two groups especially between the Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad (TMCP), the student arm of the Trinamool Congress, and the Student Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), have marred student body election in last few years.
Incidents of brutal assault on teachers, professors and principals of schools and colleges have been reported from various parts of the state in the last few years.