State orders lockdown of student union rooms post HC order

Kolkata: The West Bengal Higher Education department has directed all universities and colleges in the state to lock students’ union rooms, following a July 3 order by the Calcutta High Court.

In line with the court’s direction, the department’s circular states that students can only access the union room with written permission from the university registrar or any competent authority. The purpose of the visit must be disclosed in the application.

“This shall not include student recreational or common rooms. The order is restricted to the room or rooms identified and used as students’ union rooms,” the circular clarified.

The court directive had come during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by advocate Sayan Banerjee, who cited the alleged gang rape of a student at South Calcutta Law College. It was claimed that part of the incident occurred inside a students’ union room.

The High Court had ordered that union rooms in institutions where no student council election had been held in the recent past be locked, as no recognised students’ body currently exists in such institutions. According to the West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Composition, Functions and Procedure for Election of Students’ Council) Rules, 2017, student council elections must be held every two years, or as advised by the state government. Each elected body ordinarily has a two-year tenure unless otherwise directed.