There is neither excellence nor politics in our universities and colleges. Politics is a conflict resolution mechanism, but student politics has so vitiated campuses that conflicts among student groups have been aggravated. This is illustrated by the perpetual presence of police and paramilitary forces in the campuses of most of our universities and colleges.

Universities and colleges have become dens of corruption and exploitation. The minimum infrastructure of education like the library, electricity in classrooms, a canteen for students and teachers, and places to study is missing. There is no accountability of the heads of the institutions. In most cases, students’ representatives are not so much interested in the welfare of students as in sharing the booty with the university and college administration. Our campuses are being used as breeding grounds for criminals, thanks to massive unemployment. With entire cities held to ransom during students’ elections, one wonders wherefrom the huge amount of money spent by the candidates comes. Why should they be spending so much? What returns do they expect?

The frequent bandhs, hartals, loss of teaching hours and campus-terror have worried people, demoralised academics, and nonplussed students in UP. In 1967, Chaudhary Charan Singh had made membership of students unions voluntary. In January 2000, the BJP Minister of Higher Education Om Prakash Singh had put some riders on students elections which put an end to elections, leading to the normalisation of academic sessions in UP after 25 years!

In UP, the Congress, BJP and SP have strong student outfits — the NSUI, ABVP and the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha respectively. But, the student leadership is not the BSP’s constituency. Hence, in taking a hard decision in respect of the students unions, Mayawati has no big stakes. Yet, it is hoped that the government will revise its policy to amalgamate its desire for excellence with the legitimate demand of the students for representation.

... contd.