Direct elections to the Students' Central Associations (SCA) in Himachal universities and colleges will not be restored for now, Education Minister Rohit Thakur told the Assembly.
Replying to a discussion on a private member resolution moved by the BJP's Vipin Singh Parmar, he said the government needed to think seriously about the matter as campus elections often turn violent. However, he added that the idea could be considered in the future.
The resolution for restoring student body polls was moved by BJP MLA Vipin Singh Parmar, who argued that 80 per cent of leaders in India have come from student politics. He said elections prepare young people for leadership, especially when over 65 per cent of India’s population is under 35.
Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani said student involvement in politics was not wrong, but violence on campuses couldn’t be accepted.
BJP’s Vinod Kumar also supported the resolution, pointing out that leaders like Union Minister J.P. Nadda and former CM Jai Ram Thakur came from student politics.
Congress MLA Kewal Singh Pathania agreed that many leaders had their roots in student politics but stressed the importance of keeping campuses violence-free. Another Congress MLA, Harish Janarth, opposed the resolution, saying not everyone from student politics goes on to become a leader.
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