Calcutta High Court Orders West Bengal Govt to Submit Affidavit on Students' Union Election Delays
Click to start listening
Synopsis
The Calcutta High Court has mandated the West Bengal government to file an affidavit concerning the pending elections for students' unions at various educational institutions in the state, addressing a public interest litigation highlighting the prolonged delays.
Key Takeaways
- The Calcutta High Court has ordered an affidavit from the West Bengal government.
- Affidavit should detail plans for overdue elections of students' unions.
- Protests have emerged due to the delay in holding elections.
- Chief Justice emphasized the need for proactive measures.
- Recent incidents of unrest at Jadavpur University highlight student dissatisfaction.
Kolkata, March 27 (NationPress) The Calcutta High Court has instructed the West Bengal government to submit an affidavit detailing its approach towards the overdue elections for students' unions across various educational institutions in the state. The division bench, comprising Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay, mandated that the affidavit be presented to the court within the upcoming two weeks.
The court emphasized that the affidavit should comprehensively outline the government's strategies to facilitate the conduct of these long-awaited elections.
This directive emerged in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) that highlighted the prolonged delay in conducting elections for students' unions at multiple educational establishments.
The petitioner, Uday Shankar Chattopadhyay, accused the state authorities of neglecting to organize these elections, despite legal stipulations requiring regular electoral processes for students' unions.
In defense, the state government’s counsel contended that the challenge of holding timely elections for students' unions stems from the absence of permanent Vice-Chancellors at several universities in the state, with operations being overseen by acting Vice-Chancellors.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice remarked that the state should proactively ensure the organization of these overdue elections to mitigate the increasing unrest among students regarding this matter.
Recently, tensions escalated at Jadavpur University when students protesting the delay in student union elections surrounded the vehicle of state Education Minister Bratya Basu. The incident resulted in injuries to two students who required hospitalization after being reportedly struck by the minister's vehicle as the driver attempted to flee the scene.
Amid the unrest, the minister sustained minor injuries and felt unwell, necessitating a visit to the state-operated S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital, from which he was later discharged.
