BHU Students' Council polls put on hold

The order was passed by Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi while allowing the writ petitions of Vikas Singh and Praveen Kumar Singh, both students of BHU, who had challenged ordinances whereby Vice-Chancellor was to hold the post of patron of the students' Council and vested with powers "to nominate one person of the University as its Chairperson" and the Dean of Students as its Chairperson.

The petitioners had contended "the distribution of powers between Patron, the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson clearly indicates a deep and pervasive control of these authorities over the Council" which was tantamount to "an exercise of powers over the representative body and the executive body of the students' Council" which was in "violation" of recommendations of the J M Lyngdoh Committee report and a Supreme Court order in a case relating to the University of Kerala.

 

Agreeing with the petitioners' submission, the court directed the University to "proceed to frame ordinances only in accordance with the directions given by the apex court and in the event the University finds that a working formula for such a students' council will have to be balanced so as to involve the University, then in that event the only option left to the University is to approach the apex court for receiving any directions in case they are so required in order to set up a broader framework of the constitution of the students's council".

The court also ruled that voting for the students' council elections which were to be held on September 21-23, "shall have to be adjourned till such provisions are made so that the elections are held in accordance with the ordinances to be now framed by the University as observed herein above".