Graded Ballot

In a month from now, a code of conduct for campus elections across the country could well become a reality. A high-powered committee under former chief election commissioner James Michael Lyngdoh, looking into electoral reforms in colleges and universities, is to submit its report to the Supreme Court by May-end. Based on the panel's recommendations, the court will spell out the code of conduct.

The committee, it is learnt, will not only offer suggestions on the electoral systems to be put in place in colleges, but also seek to put restrictions on expenditure incurred by a candidate and curb the role of political parties in influencing outcomes. It will also put an upper ceiling on the age of a student leader. The changes suggested will hopefully make campus politics far more healthy, and check the use of clout and muscle power.

Predictably, politicians, elected representatives to several university unions and seasoned netas who were once student leaders are more than a bit worried about the report's implications. Says the CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury, "We are apprehensive about restrictions being put in place in the name of regulation, which might actually prove to be counter-productive to the whole process." Yechury's comments stem from a general fear of government control in the democratic processes in colleges. So, while he is concerned at excess money and muscle power on display, he thinks this should not be an excuse for "control". Like Yechury, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad feels restrictions in the name of regulation might hamper intelligent students aspiring for a future role in national politics.

Lyngdoh heads a six-member committee comprising Dayanand Dongaonkar, secretary-general of the Association of Indian Universities; Zoya Hasan, Jawaharlal Nehru University professor; Pratap Bhanu Mehta from the Centre for Policy Research; Ved Prakash, director of National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration; and I.P. Singh, ex-deputy comptroller and auditor general. In the last six months, the committee visited campuses in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta and Lucknow seeking the views of students, student leaders and teaching faculty.

Armed with a 25-point questionnaire that ranged from the affiliations of student organisations to political parties to the composition of personnel at polling stations to finding out whether there is reservation for girl candidates, the committee, it can be said, got a feel of student politics. And it did come up with some interesting data—like colleges in UP have no age limit on candidates contesting elections. Some specific questions asked were: how are nominations filed by the nominees; are there any electoral rolls; are ID cards used to identify voters; is there a history of poll-related violence.

The committee will attempt a clear diagnosis of the problems plaguing campuses today; identify the sources and spell out solutions. For instance, money spent on campus polls is a cause for concern. The need for a cap was felt after reports surfaced on the huge sums (Rs 1 crore) spent on the Delhi University elections last year. Incidentally, the official upper limit for expenditure is Rs 10,000 per candidate.

The BJP's Vijay Goel, an active student leader in his college days, says it's difficult to refuse financial assistance to an aspirant from the party's student wing. "It is worrying though that parties are getting more and more involved in student politics...clearly some checks and balances are required," he says. Almost all politicians agree there is a need for reasonable regulation on money spent.

But there are also those, like Yechury, who say students should be allowed to steer their own course. "The code of conduct for elections evolved in the '70s when we were students at jnu. It has vindicated our stand that students should be involved in the whole electoral process," says Yechury. The fate of campus elections were then settled over long sessions of political debate. And going by the record of student-leaders-turned-mainstream-politicians, it was the whole election process that helped in transforming them into public personalities.

Take, for instance, ex-student union leader and BJP spin doctor Arun Jaitley. He says his political grounding in Delhi University prepared him for a career in law and politics. "Those were the days of ideological politics, with the Left, nsui, abvp all active on campus. Today, with the emphasis on career and academic excellence, interest in politics has waned." Jaitley adds that the bright students are no longer interested. "Student unions today have become cultural societies," Jaitley concludes.

As for the average student, the disillusionment is complete. Only those coopted by the political parties take to it seriously. Perhaps a clean-up of the system will give campus politics a new lease of life.