Faculty-only election commission at EFLU Hyderabad, students cry foul

Hyderabad: Students at The English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad have expressed discontent with the administration’s decision to create a faculty-only election commission for the 2024-25 student elections, which excludes student representation.

On Wednesday, November 6, the administration of EFLU Hyderabad issued two circulars. The first circular announced the formation of an election commission tasked with conducting the students’ union elections in a fair manner. The second circular established a grievance redressal committee to accept, process, and resolve complaints from participants regarding the elections.

The students complained that the university’s election commission has no representation from the student community, and solely consists of faculty members.

The election commission was announced for the upcoming elections without holding a general body meeting at the university. According to the students’ union constitution, it is the community that nominates the students members of the election commission through a voice vote during this meeting.

Also Read

EFLU Hyderabad’s student constitution calls for students to be members of EC

According to the EFLU Students Union (SU) Constitution, “There shall be an election commission consisting of at least one full-time student from each school, but not exceeding as many persons as there are counsellors from each school, to conduct the elections of the office bearers and councillors.

Every member of this committee must have the approval of 2/3rd of the school general body meeting present and voting.”

Students highlight these provisions in the EFLU SU constitution to point out the administration’s move to announce an exclusive EC, without conducting a university general body meeting or conducting a voting in the meeting, as illegal.

Also Read

Faculty EC, a one-time measure last year

An EFLU student, who had contested the previous year’s elections blamed the Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) for the action of the university. “For the elections last year, a university general body meeting was conducted to form the Election Commission for the union elections, which was disrupted by ABVP activists. Following the ruckus, the administration decided to constitute the election commission with faculty members,” the EFLU Hyderabad student told Siasat.com

.

Last year, the students reluctantly agreed to the admin’s suggestion, as they eagerly awaited the elections, which had not been conducted for the past four years.

“The administration had then assured the students that the move would be a ‘one-time measure’. That was the main reason we were forced to agree last time. There was no existing student council to call a GBM and constitute the EC,” added the student.

The students added that the members of the current EC are the same set of faculty who were present in the past year’s EC.

Also Read

EFLU Hyderabad students’ letter to admin

The outgoing members of the students’ union of the university, submitted a letter to the registrar, dean of students welfare, and deputy chairperson of the current EC, demanding a student-led union election, including an EC consisting of students, according to the constitution. The letter was signed by the students of the university, with every student organisation in the university except ABVP joining the representation.

In conversation with Siasat.com, a member of outgoing EFLU SU said that the union members were not even consulted by the administration before the decision which came as a surprise to them. According to the students union constitution, it is the outgoing union, that calls for and democratically conducts the following year’s election.

The move from the administration is seen by various student organisations as an effort that would undermine the central university’s democratic spirit.

Get the latest updates in , , , , and on & by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for and .