After 36 years, Karnataka weighs reviving student union polls

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who also heads the Congress's state unit, has constituted a committee featuring key party leaders to study the process and modalities for conducting student union elections in the state and to submit a report.

It's a significant development since the state government is considering revoking a 36-year ban on student elections in the state's educational institutions, which would revive campus politics in the southern state.

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Shivakumar had spoken about the proposal during a Constitution Day event in November, stating that the reintroduction of student union elections would help create political leadership on campuses.

Ministers, legislators, student leaders in committee

Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil has been appointed as the convenor of the nine-member committee that the deputy CM formed. The panel also includes Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar, besides MLAs, MLCs, and the state presidents of the Youth Congress and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress.

In a letter dated December 27, Shivakumar said the committee has been asked to submit its report and recommendations within 15 days.

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“Conducting elections for student unions promotes democratic representation among students. Based on the views expressed by party leaders and workers that such elections help maintain academic discipline and develop leadership qualities among students, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has considered reintroducing student union elections,” he added.

The committee has been formed to assess the current conditions and examine the feasibility of conducting such elections. It has been tasked with submitting a comprehensive report along with its recommendations.

Student polls were banned over violence

Student union elections were banned in Karnataka in 1989, when the Congress was in power. The decision was taken by the government of then chief minister Veerendra Patil (1989-90). The decision reportedly followed a series of violent incidents and clashes on college campuses, along with concerns over the growing influence of political parties in student life.

The committee’s Terms of Reference include studying and recommending the stages at which elections can be held; examining the advantages, disadvantages, and consequences of conducting elections; and determining whether elections should be held under political party banners, based on ideologies, or in a non-political manner focused on student welfare.

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The panel will also examine eligibility criteria for candidates, election procedures and systems, costs and transparency, grievance redressal mechanisms, security arrangements, representation and inclusivity, reservation or quotas for women, marginalised communities, and students with disabilities, and the appropriate duration of student union terms without disrupting academic schedules.

Shivakumar has on several occasions recalled his own days as a student leader, stating that student politics played a key role in nurturing his political journey.

(With agency inputs)