Panjab University to reserve one seat for women in student body polls
In a significant decision aimed at fostering greater female participation in campus politics, Panjab University (PU) is set to introduce reservation for one of the four key office-bearer positions in the Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) starting from the 2025-26 session.
This move marks the first instance of any form of reservation for these coveted positions in the university's history.
The decision stems from recommendations put forth by a committee, established by the vice-chancellor to overhaul the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing student elections.
Led by professor Nandita Singh, this committee was tasked with drafting revised SOPs for the dean student welfare (DSW) office following a fatal stabbing incident on the campus in March.
PU vice-chancellor Renu Vig confirmed that she had received the recommendations, assuring their implementation from the next academic session. 'The varsity has a large number of female students and there had been a pending proposal for a while calling for reservations in the PUCSC. With a bill passed to provide reservation for women in Lok Sabha seats, it is a step in the right direction to do this for the PU student council as well,' she said.
According to the committee's recommendations, the specific office-bearer seat to be reserved—be it president, vice-president, general secretary or joint secretary—will be determined through a draw of lots conducted by the DSW office.
However, this method raises the possibility that the prestigious president's seat might either be consistently overlooked or repeatedly selected.
Addressing this concern, the vice-chancellor said they will monitor the situation and can choose rotational reservation for women, if needed.
'We can choose to hold a draw of lots at the start of the next session and then choose the seat to be reserved from the next session on rotational basis, either in ascending or descending order,' she said.
Female students in majority yet underrepresented
Despite comprising a majority of the student body, with approximately 52% female students compared to 48% male students in the last academic year, female representation in PUCSC leadership remains disproportionately low.
Notably, only one female student, Kanupriya, has held the position of PUCSC president, during the 2018-19 session.
Expressing her thoughts on the initiative, Kanupriya remarked, 'While I am excited about this, it seems too good to be true. PU elections are held as per the Lyngdoh Panel Guidelines and it remains to be seen how this reservation will be included while keeping with these guidelines. PU has made such promises in the past and not kept them.'
She also emphasised the need for caste-based reservation within the female quota to prevent upper-caste female students from disproportionately benefiting.
In some cases, parties also use women candidates to fetch votes but interfere in their working once they get elected. Something similar was seen last year when Ranmeekjot Kaur won the vice-president seat in the last session. Within a month of her election, her party Sath had cut ties with her. Speaking about the new initiative, she said, 'There is still a taboo in people's minds about women who enter politics. This initiative will normalise thinking of a career in politics for women and it is much needed.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
a day ago
- Hans India
Delhi Government Issues Clear Guidelines for Emergency Tree Removal to Ensure Safety and Sustainability
New Delhi: In a bold step towards making Delhi safer and greener, the government—guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta—is rolling out new, transparent rules for handling trees that pose immediate danger. These updated guidelines, issued by the Environment Department, aim to empower authorities and citizens alike to act quickly during emergencies while keeping the city's green cover intact. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa today explained that Section 8 mandates prior permission from a Tree Officer before any tree can be felled, removed, or disposed of. However, in emergency cases where a tree poses an immediate danger to life, property, or traffic, removal or pruning can proceed without prior approval. Such actions must be reported to the Tree Officer within 24 hours. To clarify when such emergency actions are appropriate, the Department of Forest & Wildlife has released a framework outlining common situations warranting immediate pruning or removal. These include trees blocking roads, bridges, drains, or sewer lines; causing damage to buildings or heritage structures; interfering with Metro or Railway infrastructure; or trees that are dried, dead, or dangerously leaning. In these cases, the concerned agency, individual, or residential society can take urgent action but must report the removal or pruning within 24 hours by uploading photographs from at least three angles, geo-coordinates, and justification on the DPTA e-Forest portal ( Tree Officers will review these submissions as valid compliance. Additionally, Tree Officers have the authority to take action if they observe hazardous trees during inspections. Commenting on the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, 'The Delhi Government is fully committed to the safety and well-being of its people. At the same time, we remain dedicated to preserving Delhi's green wealth. These SOPs strike the right balance—enabling timely action on hazardous trees while ensuring complete transparency and accountability.' The SOPs are designed to enable responsible and timely interventions during genuine emergencies, while any misuse or false reporting will attract strict legal consequences under forest laws.
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
Karnataka High Court seeks detailed report on Bengaluru stampede by Tuesday
The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to submit a comprehensive report detailing the circumstances that led to the stampede during the victory celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The court has listed nine points and has sought answers from the directive was issued while hearing a petition related to the incident that resulted in the death of 11 people and left 56 injured, raising serious concerns over public safety and administrative High Court has asked for detailed explanations of several key aspects of the incident. Authorities have been instructed to clarify who took the decision to organise the event, when it was made, and how it was formalised. Further, the Court has demanded information on the measures taken for traffic regulation and public crowd control, noting that there was a lack of proper planning. The court has also asked authorities to disclose the medical and other emergency measures arranged at the site and whether any immediate treatment was bench also questioned whether the organisers had anticipated the scale of the crowd. 'Was there a prior decision on the number of people expected to attend the event?' the Court addition, the Court has sought information on the time taken to transport injured individuals to nearby hospitals and whether any Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for managing large gatherings—especially those exceeding 50,000 people-were in the court has also said that the report must state whether the organisers had obtained official permission to hold the event and if so, from which authority and under what government has been given time until the next hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, to submit the report covering all nine points listed by the Karnataka government informed the High Court that the investigation into the stampede has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). A Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be constituted within the CID to ensure a robust probe into the InMust Watch
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business Standard
Amarnath Yatra duration reduced to 38 days in 2025, security beefed up
The annual Amarnath Yatra will be held this year from July 3 to August 9, reducing its duration to 38 days from the 52 days observed in 2024. The decision to shorten the pilgrimage period was made before the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, and is unrelated to any immediate security threat. Heightened security amid upcoming events Security arrangements in Jammu and Kashmir have been intensified in light of the upcoming Eid-Ul-Adha, Amarnath Yatra, and other key events. Earlier this week, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat directed forces to deploy anti-sabotage teams along the yatra routes and strengthen risk mitigation strategies. A police spokesperson said the DGP convened a joint meeting with officers from the police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to review preparations. SOPs and vigilance stressed During the review, the DGP emphasised the strict enforcement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and called for proactive security measures to safeguard pilgrims. He also urged field officers to intensify efforts to dismantle terror networks in the region. These instructions follow a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Jammu to assess security arrangements for the pilgrimage. The meeting focused on evaluating threat levels, deployment plans, and improving coordination between security forces, intelligence agencies, and civil administration. Shah underscored the importance of real-time intelligence sharing and maintaining high vigilance to ensure peace and stability throughout the pilgrimage period.
