Conduct code an election issue

The Delhi University is abuzz with political activity these days with student outfits warming up for the forthcoming elections to the students union. For starters, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has raised the issue of strict implementation of the code of conduct during the elections.

After remaining quiet through the entire academic session, the ABVP has raised the issue when very little can be done about it. Yet, the ABVP members not only demand addition of punitive clauses applicable on the candidate whose supporters violate this code, but also went on to stage a protest. The DUSU joint secretary and ABVP member, Arun Khatana, even sat on a hunger strike for this purpose.

The V-C obviously ruled out the possibility of making any changes. The grapevine in University circles had another story to tell. Apparently, the ABVP wanted the elections to be postponed but when authorities expressed their inability to do so, the Parishad chose to rake up the issue.

This, however, is being viewed as a pre-election facade. The National Students Union of India (NSUI), making a mockery of the protest, said the Parishad was simply trying to make an issue out of nothing.

The V-C for his part, was prompt enough to call a press- conference and make it clear that no changes in the code of conduct were possible this year. That signaled the end of round one of the pre-election show. With candidates of all outfits filing their nominations on time, the election process has got under way and no recourse is expected.

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If the ABVP started it, the NSUI could not be far behind. In contrast to its rival, the NSUI brought out a list of their good deeds in the past year trying to refresh the memories of students or as some others described it ``trying to erase their shortcomings from the minds of the students''.

Either way, the two-page release states that the NSUI was the first student outfit to oppose the fee hike in some of the Delhi University colleges in November last year. It also claimed to have held a lot of workshops to facilitate introspection among its student leaders.

Further, the NSUI obviously wishes to remind the students about the violence at Kanpur by ABVP cadres on Valentine's Day. It stakes claim to having channelised the resentment among students in Delhi University on the issue in the form of a protest.

The list does not end there. It goes on to mention the anti- ragging efforts by the NSUI and takes credit for no ragging complaints this year. It also takes credit for the bus pass counters that were reopened at North and South campuses this year.

Interestingly, they go on to raise the issues of fee hike, transparency in examinations, time-bound declaration of revaluation results and a compact campus. These are the very issues which ABVP has also raised. Another reflection of politicking without much to raise a slogan about.

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The teaching community at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is shocked at the killing of Anand Pandey, son of famous Hindi critic and JNU teacher, Prof. Manager Pandey.

Convinced that it was the Bihar Police who killed him, the JNU Teachers' Association is determined to get an impartial probe instituted. Though, it is learnt, that the University authorities were contemplating the Visitor's intervention, teachers have laid more faith on the National Human Rights Commission.

Prof. Pandey, meanwhile, is at Lohati in Gopalganj district of Bihar -- where Anand was killed -- to perform the last rites. The villagers were apparently agitated and Prof. Pandey is convinced that the police, indeed, had killed his son out of sheer vengeance after one of the police personnel was killed.

Anand was escorting these policemen out of the village when gangsters attacked them. The police apparently held Anand responsible for this and killed him.

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The decision of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to depute its observer in the selection committees from Readers to Professors may have drawn a lot of flak from teachers organisations but there have also been support from a few quarters.

Executive Council member of the Delhi University, Dr. R.M. Kohli, is one. In a statement released on Tuesday, he urged teachers to come to terms with UGC's intervention purely because the Commission is the principal funding agency.

According to Dr. Kohli, there had been numerous distortions in the promotions from lecturers to Readers. It is to prevent a repeat of this that the UGC had chosen to depute an observer, he justified.

Dr. Kohli alleged that many of those promoted to Readers did not have much published work to their credit. Thus, the UGC, being aware of these shortcomings, had now decided to have an observer at selection committees.

--Pranab Dhal Samanta

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