A protest over new reservations in the Sobhan Singh Jeena University student-union election escalated on Monday when 2 potential candidates climbed onto a campus building roof in Almora. They came down after campus authorities agreed to place their objections before the university.
Ashish Santoliya, who was preparing to contest the treasurer’s , and Tilak Kumar, a potential joint secretary candidate, joined the protest against the new arrangement. The students demanded that the directive be withdrawn immediately.
What the new election rule changes
The latest government instructions provide 50% reservation for women across 6 student-union s. Apart from the women’s vice-president position, the treasurer and joint secretary s have also been reserved for female candidates, according to the report.
As a result, male students who had been preparing to contest these positions will no longer be eligible to stand for them under the new arrangement. The change has affected candidates who had begun their election preparations at the start of the academic session.
Before the roof protest, potential candidates for the treasurer and deputy secretary s, accompanied by supporters, burned an effigy of Education Minister Dhan Singh. The demonstration was organised to oppose the reservation order and its timing.
Students object to timing of directive
The protesting candidates argued that the instruction was issued too close to the election. They said they had been preparing since the beginning of the new academic session, making the late change unfair to those seeking the affected s.
They asked that the rule be introduced from the next academic session instead of being applied to the current election. The students also warned that demonstrations would continue if the directive was not withdrawn.
Campus management told the protesters that their demand would be conveyed to the university authorities. Following that assurance, the students left the roof and returned to the campus area.
Conclusion
The Almora campus protest centres on the timing and application of the 50% reservation for women in 6 student-union s. The immediate next step is for campus management to present the students’ demand at the university level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What triggered the protest at the university?
The protest followed the reservation of 50% of 6 student-union s for women under new government directions.
Q. Which candidates climbed onto the campus roof?
Ashish Santoliya, a potential treasurer candidate, and Tilak Kumar, a potential joint secretary candidate, climbed onto the roof.
Q. Which s have been reserved for women?
The women’s vice-president , treasurer and joint secretary are among the positions identified in the report as reserved for women.
Q. What did the protesters demand?
They demanded immediate withdrawal of the directive and asked that the rule instead begin with the next academic session.
Q. What happened after campus officials spoke to the students?
The students came down after campus management assured them that their demand would be placed before the university authorities.
Q. What warning did the protesters issue?
They said their protest would continue if the reservation directive was not withdrawn.
