New Delhi [India], September 30 (ANI): Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is in favor of holding student union elections; however, admissions are still underway, and the matter related to the 2019 university election is sub-judice, said university officials, amid increasing demands from student groups to conduct polls. 
The last JNU elections were held in 2019. The university elections are conducted every year.
The student groups are demanding that the administration issue a notification regarding the elections, and they have also condemned an inordinate delay in holding elections. 
The administration, however, is adamant that the matter is sub-judice and admissions are not over.
“Jawaharlal Nehru University is in favour of student body elections. But in the last election of 2019, JNUSU was not notified by the administration due to alleged non-compliance with the Lyngdoh Committee. So then elected representatives went to court, and the matter is still sub-judice,” a senior University official told ANI.
“The university cannot organise the election until that matter is resolved in court. Moreover, admissions for postgraduate and PhD courses are still underway. So until the admissions process is over, the University cannot organize the election,” the official added.
JNUSU was not notified last year due to alleged non-compliance with the Lyngdoh Committee Report.
The Lyngdoh Committee recommendations state that elections need to be held on a yearly basis and between 6-8 weeks from the date of commencement of the academic session.
A United Front of Left party was elected to the JNUSU in September 2019. Student Federation of India’s Aishe Ghosh was elected president.
The JNU official said that there is no JNUSU as of now.
“There is no JNUSU president, and there is no JNUSU. If the JNUSU was not notified by the administration representatives, then how can they hold a general body meeting?” the official asked.
Meanwhile, the incumbent JNUSU held a general body meeting on September 18. On September 26, they wrote to the University Vice Chancellor Santishree D Pandit, asking her to initiate the process of holding elections.
“The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) elections have not been held since 2019-20. Numerous letters and delegations on the part of the elected INUSU have not received any response from the JNU Administration regarding the commencement of the election process,” the JNUSU said.
As per the letter, the University General Body condemned the inordinate delay in the conduct of JNUSU Elections since 2020 due to the “arbitrary and undemocratic decisions” regarding the same by the JNU Administration. 
“The University General Body further condemns the undemocratic policies of the JNU Administration regarding student representation, such as the exclusion of JNUSU representatives from bodies concerning student welfare and the illegal practice of not recognizing elected student representatives through the façade of not notifying the election results,” the letter read. 
Student union elections in all the universities of the country are held strictly according to the Lyngdoh committee recommendations. The committee was formed in response to the Kerala High Court’s decision to give autonomy to the college principals of Kerala University regarding students’ union elections. (ANI)

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