New Delhi: As the run-up to the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections heats up, the campus is buzzing with promises and power plays. Student outfits are centring their campaigns this year on everyday concerns that directly affect campus life.Key demands include metro fare concessions, free campus Wi-Fi, subsidised health insurance and improved facilities for students with disabilities. They are also pushing for the introduction of menstrual leave, as part of a broader push to make the university more inclusive and accessible.Voting is set for Sept 18 and nearly 2.8 lakh students are eligible. Results are scheduled to be declared on Sept 19. At present, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) holds two of the four central panel posts, while the other two are with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). ABVP, in its manifesto, has pledged a year-round commitment to student welfare, including over 5,000 suggestions from students. Major proposals include subsidised health insurance schemes, metro fare relief, free Wi-Fi, construction of new hostels, improved research support for final-year scholars, among others. “It reflects our belief that students are not merely citizens of tomorrow but also active citizens of today,” said Virendra Singh Solanki, ABVP’s national general secretary. ABVP’s presidential candidate Aryan Maan said: “This year, we will ensure adequate sports facilities, campus accessibility audits for specially-abled students and free Wi-Fi.” On the other hand, NSUI promised to bring change to campus life, unveiling not just a main student manifesto but also a dedicated women’s manifesto. NSUI national president Varun Choudhary declared that the student outfit was poised for a clean sweep. “We are focusing on the core issues. We will also open the ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukan’ in DU again, where diversity, love and dignity for all will remain our top priority,” he said. The manifesto, themed ‘Hum Badlenge’, promises to roll back fee hikes by abolishing the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA), ensure affordable and uniform fee structures, and resist the implementation of NEP 2020, which NSUI has called a push towards the commercialisation of education. The separate women’s manifesto zeroes in on safety and dignity for female students, proposing round-the-clock emergency response systems, legal aid for survivors of harassment, more women security guards, better lighting and CCTV coverage and women-only restrooms on all campuses, among other steps. Students Federation of India (SFI)-All India Students’ Association (AISA) alliance released its joint manifesto, positioning itself as a sharp break from what it calls the “money and muscle politics” of ABVP and the “false promises” of NSUI. The manifesto vows to end relentless fee hikes and roll back the loan-based funding model, build hostels and introduce gender-just spaces, queer sensitisation programmes and gender-neutral washrooms.
