"Statutory Obligation To Hold Periodic Student Union Elections": Calcutta HC Calls For State's Stand On Conducting Polls Across Varsities

The Calcutta High Court has called for an affidavit from the state government on the future roadmap for conducting student elections across universities in West Bengal. The court noted that such elections had been statutorily mandated to be held at fixed durations.

A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice C. Chatterjee (Das) made these observations in a plea challenging the non-conduct of student elections at Jadavpur University.

Petitioner submitted that under Rule 3 of the West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Act, the conduct of student elections had been mandated to be held every two years.

It was submitted that whenever it came time to conduct such elections, there was a law and order issue which arose and led to postponement of the elections.

"Elections are not conducted and it is causing unrest among the students," the court observed. 

Counsel for the state submitted that in most of the universities, there was no permanent vice chancellor who would facilitate the election process. Counsel prayed for time to amend the rules governing student elections so that the same could be held, since the present rules called for the nomination of the president and treasurer, which went against the Lyngdoh committee recommendations accepted by the Supreme Court.

Accordingly, the court called for an affidavit on the roadmap for the conduct of student elections in universities across the state.

"It has been almost 2 decades since student council elections were held in the state. We require a clear stand to be taken by the state as to how they propose to proceed and comply with the mandate under the rules. The authority cannot keep postponing the elections," the court said.

Case: ABAHELITO STUDENTS ALLIANCE (ASA) AND ORS VS STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS

Case No: WPA(P)/81/2025