SUPREME COURT ISSUED NOTICE ON PLEA CHALLENGING UGC'S LIMITATIONS ON NUMBER OF TIMES CANDIDATE CAN CONTEST | STUDENTS UNION ELECTIONS

The Supreme Court in the case Naveen Prakash Nautiyal And Ors. v.

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Union Of India And Ors observed wherein the petition is filed against the limitation of the number of times a candidate can contest Students Union elections for office bearer and executive posts. Thus, the Supreme Court issued the notice.

The bench comprising of Justice Surya Kant and Justice KV Viswanathan in the case observed and has stated that the PIL filed under Article 32 of the Constitution of India seeking to quash of the Rule 6.5.6 of the Lyngdoh Committee Report and a notification dated November 28, 2006 issued by the University. Grants Commission, UGC. Thus, the Rule 6.5.6 of the said Report provides that a candidate appearing in students union elections shall have 1 opportunity to contest for the post of office bearer, and 2 opportunities to contest for the post of an executive member.

Therefore, the Supreme appointed the Lyngdoh Committee in 2005 in order to recommend measures for the regulation of student body elections in India. When the Committee, headed by former Chief Election Commissioner JS Lyngdoh, gave a Report, wherein the court directed that the Report be implemented as an interim measure.