Ravenshaw poll row: ABVP seeks HRD ministry’s intervention

Bhubaneswar: A delegation of ABVP on Tuesday met HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar seeking his intervention into the cancellation of students’ union election at Ravenshaw University in Cuttack.

They alleged that varsity authorities have curtailed the democratic rights of students by introducing students’ council poll instead of union elections. The student leaders urged the union minister to intervene in the matter to ensure their democratic rights.

“Instead of taking measures to fill up the vacant faculty posts, Ravenshaw authorities have prioritised the election matter more,” ABVP State secretary Abhilash Panda said,

Preventing students from exercising their democratic rights cannot be tolerated, he added.

In response, the Union Minister assured of looking into the matter. “I will review the situation and will look into the ways how education system can be improved in terms of quality,” Javadekar said.

The varsity authorities recently cancelled the students’ union poll and introduced the students’ council poll for which voting was to be held yesterday. But, amid students’ unrest, varsity authorities put the polls on hold till further announcement.

Informing to the media, Chairman, Council of Deans, Gouranga Nanda had said, “Elections could not be conducted as there is an atmosphere of discontent. We could not even enter the administrative blocks and offices, so at last we had to issue the notice of elections postponement.”

“Elections have been postponed indefinitely till further notice since we have to go through election process all over again and re-elections depend upon different factors. We might have to change the process if we go as per the demands of the students, so Election Commission’s re-approval is also needed. We will have to inform the government as well. Besides, teachers’ council also needs to work out the modalities,” Nanda added.