Campus elections: Ravenshaw to constitute Presidium

Cuttack: While the students continue to protest the new model of campus elections, the Ravenshaw university authorities have decided to set up a Presidium, or a students’ council as part of their strategy to hold indirect elections to elect student representatives.

The move aims to do away with the earlier norm of direct election of candidates to students’ union. It would rather 'decentralise' the election and instead elect a students' council that would assist the university to carry out its academic programmes.

Separate direct elections would be held among the students of the university's nine schools to elect their respective class representatives who in turn will represent their schools in the Presidium. The body will have nine convenors and sub-convenors representing nine schools of the university.

“General body meetings will be held every month and convenors of different schools will preside over the meetings each month on a rotational basis,” said university Vice Chancellor Prakash Chandra Sarangi.

While the school unions will raise their complaints before the council, the Presidium will be responsible for dealing with the bigger problems concerning the whole of varsity.

Amid the new development, students’ union is unhappy over the decision of the university authorities as they continue to stand firm on their support to the earlier model of direct elections.

“The Vice Chancellor’s decision to scrap the union elections is anti democracy. We want the VC to agree on our proposals and let the elections be conducted as before or else we will continue our protests,” Subhalaxmi, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) member said.