DU asks colleges to check property defacement during DUSU polls, sets up a monitoring panel

New Delhi: Delhi University has issued strict directions to all college principals to prevent defacement of property during the upcoming student union elections in line with a Delhi High Court order.

In a circular dated August 27, the university asked principals to act as “anti-defacement heads” for their respective campuses and ensure that posters, banners, wall writings and hoardings are not permitted within or around college premises.

The move follows a 2018 High Court order, which was reinforced in 2024, mandating stringent measures against defacement of public and private property. The university has also constituted a University Committee for Prevention of Defacement of Property (UCPDP) to oversee compliance across all campuses. The panel, notified on August 18, includes Delhi University (DU) Estate Officer Prof Bipin Kumar Tiwary as the vice chancellor’s nominee, senior faculty members, and Delhi Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and municipal representatives. DU has set strict rules for the September 18 DUSU polls, mandating bonds, anti-defacement affidavits, “walls of democracy” for posters, and banning rallies, and unauthorised campaigning to curb property defacement.