Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union Explained

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union
Type:students' union
Abbreviation:JNUSU
Location:Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union or JNUSU is a students' union at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.[1] [2]

The JNUSU follows the student drafted JNUSU constitution.[3]

The Students' Union has four central panel positions. These are the posts of President, Vice President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary.[4]

An EPW study notes how in the last four decades (1974–2008 and 2012–17), in the JNUSU elections, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has won the post of president 22 times while All India Students’ Association (AISA) has won it 11 times while Akhil Bhartia Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has won it once.[5] Notable presidents of JNUSU include CPI(M) politician Sitaram Yechury who was president in 1977-78, Congress National Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Khan in 1992-93 and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain in 1999-2000.[6] [7] [8] Vijoo Krishnan became the president of JNUSU in 1998.[9] D Raghunandan, D. P. Tripathi, Nalini Ranjan Mohanty also served as President.[10]

Chandrashekhar Prasad another president of the JNUSU was assassinated after joining politics in Bihar in 1997.

JNUSU elections

JNUSU elections are conducted by students through an elected Election Committee.[11] In 2006, the Lyngdoh Committee,[12] [13] formed to frame guidelines for 'Students’ Union Elections' across the country noted that there is no need for altering the JNU model and that JNU's model would be "difficult to replicate elsewhere".[14] However the JNUSU passed a resolution in 2016 to hold the elections via the JNUS constitution and not the Lyngdoh Committee model.

The Students Union has four central panel positions. These are the posts of President, Vice President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary. Other posts include Councillors for each of the Schools and as well as a part time Councillor. In 2019 there were 43 Councillors.[15]

After 2015, the left parties have been fighting the elections as one unit under the umbrella of United Left.[16]

Union Presidents

JNU is known for best Presidential debates by all candidates before elections.[17] [18] [19]

SFI has won the post of President the maximum number of times in the last 40 years, a total of 22 times. All India Students’ Association (AISA) follows by having won the presidents post 11 times. SFI, AISF and AISA are the student wings of the Communist Parties.

Presidents of JNUSU

PresidentStudent OrganizationDurationFirst Runner-upStudent OrganizationVice-PresidentStudent Organization
DhananjayAISA (United Left)2024-nowUmesh Chandra Ajmeera ABVPAvijit GhoshSFI (United Left)
SFI (United Left)2019-2024 Manish Jangid[20] ABVP[21] Saket Moon DSF (United Left)
N Sai BalajiAISA[22] (United Left)2018-2019 Lalit Pandey[23] ABVPSarika Chaudhary[24] DSF (United Left)
Geeta Kumari AISA (United Left)2017-2018 Nidhi Tripathi ABVP[25] Simone Zoya Khan[26]
Mohit K Pandey AISA (United Left)2016-2017 Sonpimple Rahul Punaram BAPSA[27]
2015-2016 Vijay Kumar AISA[28] Shehla RashidAISA (United Left)
Ashutosh KumarAISA2014-2015
Akbar ChawdharyAISA2013-2014
V. Lenin KumarDSF2012-2013
Sucheta DeAISA2011-2012
Election did not take place2010-2011
Election did not take place2009-2010
Election did not take place2008-2009
Sandeep Singh[29] AISA2007-2008
Dhananjay TripathiSFI2006-2007Tyler Walker WilliamsAISA
Mona DasAISA2005-2006
Mona DasAISA2004-2005
Rohit Azad2003-2004
Rohit Azad2002-2003
Albeena ShakilSFI2001-2002
Sandeep MahapatraABVP2000-2001
Syed Naseer HussainSFI1999-2000
Vijoo KrishnanSFI1998-1999
1997-1998
Batti Lal BairwaSFI1996-1997
1995-1996
Chandrashekhar Prasad[30] AISA1994-1995
Chandrashekhar PrasadAISA1993-1994
Shakeel Ahmed KhanSFI1992-1993Chandrashekhar Prasad
Tanvir AkhtarNSUI1991-1992Shakeel Ahmed KhanSFI
Sitaram YechurySFI1977-1978
Prakash KaratSFI1976-1977
D. P. Tripathi[31] SFI1975-1976
While some JNUSU presidents joined politics after JNU other presidents such as V. Lenin Kumar and Dhananjay Tripathi pursued academics. Those who joined politics include Ashutosh Kumar who joined CPI-ML(Liberation), Kanhaiya Kumar joined the CPI and Sandeep Singh joined the Indian National Congress.

Sandeep Mahapatra has been the only JNUSU president from Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Notable student organisations

These student organisations contest in JNUSU:[32]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. News: CEC appointed for JNU students union polls.
  2. News: Meanwhile, election fever grips JNU too.
  3. Web site: 'Hold polls as per JNUSU's constitution'. 2016-08-22. Deccan Herald. en. 2020-01-11.
  4. Web site: Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) - JNU Office Of The Dean Of Students: Provisional Notification. 29 September 2017. Jawaharlal Nehru University. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111060759/https://www.jnu.ac.in/content/jnusu. 11 January 2020. 2020-01-11.
  5. Martelli. Jean-Thomas. Parkar. Khaliq. 17 March 2018. Diversity, Democracy, and Dissent: A Study on Student Politics in JNU. Economic and Political Weekly. en. 52. 11. 7–8. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111064654/https://www.epw.in/engage/article/diversity-democracy-dissent-study-student-politics-JNU. 11 January 2020.
  6. Web site: Teaching, activism and politics — what former JNUSU presidents are doing now. Grewal. Kairvy. 2020-01-07. ThePrint. en-US. 2020-01-11.
  7. Web site: Cutting Across Party Lines, Kanhaiya Kumar's Charisma Leaves Ex-JNU Leaders In Awe Outlook India Magazine. Ahmad. Salik. 13 May 2019. Outlook India. 2020-01-11.
  8. News: Kanhaiya not the only JNU Students Union Prez to enter mainstream politics in Bihar. PTI. 16 April 2019. Business Standard India. 2020-01-11.
  9. Web site: Meet JNU Alumnus Vijoo Krishnan, Man Who Inspired 50,000 Farmers to March 180-km. News18. 13 March 2018 . 2020-04-24.
  10. Web site: JNU protest not a Left vs BJP issue: Former JNUSU presidents. 2020-08-17. outlookindia.com/.
  11. Shakil. Albeena. 2008. JNU Students' Elections and the Lyngdoh Recommendations. Economic and Political Weekly. 43. 50. 15–17. 0012-9976. 40278284.
  12. (23 May 2006) Report of the Committee Constituted by Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India as per the Direction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India to frame Guidelines on Students’ Union Elections in Colleges/Universities. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.
  13. https://www.ugc.ac.in/oldpdf/students_pdf/lyngdoh_committeemhrd2712.pdf Recommendation of the Committee accepted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court for implementation
  14. News: University notice to JNUSU election panel. 2019-09-11. The Hindu. 2020-01-11. en-IN. 0971-751X.
  15. Web site: JNU Students' Union To Have 43 Councillors. 28 August 2019. NDTV. PTI. 2020-01-11.
  16. Web site: JNUSU Elections: The Left May Seem United, But it's Weak. Newslaundry. en. 2020-02-08.
  17. News: Amid national-world talk, local issues get audience going at JNU presidential debate..
  18. News: Drums, speeches, Lal Salaam slogans dominate JNU Presidential debate.
  19. News: Left, Right and Centre stake claim for JNUSU.
  20. Web site: After HC nod, JNU makes results official: It's a Left sweep. Web Desk. TOI. . en. 2019-09-09.
  21. News: United-Left panel establishes early lead in JNUSU elections. 2019-09-09. The Hindu. 2019-09-09. en-IN. 0971-751X.
  22. News: Left Unity Sweeps JNU Student Union Elections, Wins All 4 Key Posts. Chatterjee. Debjani. 16 September 2018. NDTV. 16 September 2018.
  23. News: JNUSU election result 2018 updates.
  24. Web site: Left Unity Sweeps JNU Student Union Elections, Wins All 4 Key Posts. Chatterjee. Debjani. 16 September 2018. NDTV. 2020-01-11.
  25. Web site: United Left sweeps JNUSU election . The Hindu . 11 September 2017 . 21 November 2017.
  26. News: Meet Geeta Kumari, The New Student Union President Of JNU. Kokra. Sonali. 11 September 2017. The Huffington Post. 11 January 2020.
  27. News: KUMAR. ABHIMANYU. Setting right the caste vacuum.
  28. News: AISF candidate elected JNU students union president.
  29. Web site: P. Neelam. ey. 2019-03-31. Rahul Gandhi's new adviser is a former JNU student who waved black flags at Manmohan Singh. 2020-08-17. ThePrint. en-US.
  30. Web site: Betrayed by Revolution The CPI (ML) hails Chandrashekhar as a martyr. But his aged mother feels her son's sacrifice was in vain. 2 September 2016. Tehelka. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310142820/http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main30.asp?filename=Ne020607Betrayed_by.asp. 10 March 2016. 2 September 2016.
  31. Web site: Bhardwaj. Deeksha. 2020-01-02. Faiz lover who once led JNU student union — NCP's DP Tripathi combined intellect & politics. 2020-08-17. ThePrint. en-US.
  32. News: In JNUSU elections, parties contesting the elections include AISB,AISA, AISF, ABVP, NSUI, SFI, Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) and Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA). https://web.archive.org/web/20150912210447/http://www.hindustantimes.com/higherstudies/du-jnu-students-vote-to-elect-their-union-leaders/article1-1389371.aspx. dead. 12 September 2015.