Cuttack: In view of frequent incidents of ragging, protests and violence vitiating the study atmosphere of Ravenshaw University, the authorities are contemplating to free the campus of political influence by scrapping student union polls.
Recently, vice chancellor Prakash Chandra Sarangi had also admitted that student union politics is the main reason behind a disturbed campus.
The varsity authorities during the last executive council (EC) meeting discussed in details the allegations that unrest occurs on the campus due to students’ politics and decided to find out an alternative route to elect students’ union by not conducting direct election. As per the decision, a six-member committee has been formed to find out alternative to selection of students’ union. According to Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, the EC of the university can take decision whether it will conduct direct election or prefer an alternative route.
Sources said the six-member panel comprising professor Gauranga Charan Nanda (convenor), Dr Sanjay Satpathy, Dr Rita Paikray, Prof Chandi Prasad Nanda, Prof Pradipta Mohapatra and Dr KSK Bharadwaj has sought public opinion till July 22 about holding of students’ union elections. Once the feedback is received from the public, the panel will take a final call in this regard. The varsity authorities have created an email Id – ccd@ravenshawuniversity.ac.in – and appealed to the public to post their suggestions.
Speaking on the issue, vice chancellor Prakash Chandra Sarangi said, “We have not taken any decision so far whether we will conduct students’ union elections or not. There is need for quality education here which is being affected by union politics. We appealed to the public for their valuable suggestions.
“We are taken aback by the EC’s remark. If we analyse the records of past few years, we could see that the students’ union elections were conducted peacefully on the varsity campus. There must be political conspiracy behind the EC’s decision. While the EC fails on many fronts to resolve the irregularities, the decision to scrap direct elections has been taken to distant students from politics,” said general secretary of state youth BJD Sisir Kumar Parija.
Parija further said, “Ravenshaw is the epicentre of Orissa politics. The varsity has nurtured many chief ministers in the past. The authorities should take action against the troublemakers and should not do unnecessary interference in students’ union politics.”
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