Higher Education dept allows 4 univs to hold students' elections

Kolkata: The state Higher Education department has allowed four universities to hold elections to the students' union or council as deemed fit.

A notification in this regard was issued by the Higher Education department on Thursday. The universities are Jadavpur University, Presidency University, Rabindra Bharati University and Diamond Harbour Women's University.

The decision was taken following a meeting with state Education minister Partha Chatterjee. Students' union election was held in Jadavpur University in January 2017. The union election in Presidency University was also held in the same year.

It has been a long-standing demand of the students to hold elections in these universities. At a referendum, 95 percent of the students of Jadavpur University had voted for holding the union election some months ago.

The students had gheraoed Suranjan Das, Vice-Chancellor of Jadavpur University, demanding union election.

"The universities that do not have any college affiliated to it have been directed to conduct student elections. The dates and the rules will be framed by the respective universities," said Chatterjee.