Plea in Delhi HC seeking women’s reservation in DU students union elections

New Delhi [India], September 10 (ANI): A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court seeking direction for the implementation of women’s reservation in the upcoming Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) Elections. The petition also calls for a court directive to allocate a specific percentage of reserved seats for women, aiming to enhance gender equality in student governance.

The plea in the Delhi High Court seeks directions to the Central Government, UGC, and Delhi University to reserve 50 percent of seats for female students in the Delhi University Student Union Elections (DUSU) and college student union elections.

The petition states that, following the recent Parliament enactment of 33% reservation for women in State Assembly and Parliament elections under the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, it is timely for Delhi University to ensure equal representation and participation for female students in its student elections. The plea emphasises the need for substantial women’s reservation to promote gender equality in student governance.

It further states that recently, a notification regarding the Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) elections was issued, after which the nomination process is scheduled to begin on September 17, 2024, and the election date is set for September 27, 2024.

Petitioner Shabana Hussain, a Delhi University student, through Advocate Ashu Bhiduri has approached the Delhi High Court and highlighted her concern that despite 75 years of independence, women, who make up half the population, still face significant challenges and exploitation due to entrenched societal discrimination.

She emphasised that the Constitution, crafted by BR Ambedkar, guarantees equality and participation for women, and stressed the importance of political representation for women in this male-dominated society to ensure true empowerment.

The bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela is scheduled to hear the matter on Wednesday.

Shabana further explained that she has been advocating for women’s reservation in the student union elections at Delhi University for the past two years. She highlighted that the student union elections are heavily influenced by money and muscle power, which has resulted in minimal participation of women. In light of these concerns, she has approached the Delhi High Court, seeking a mandate to ensure women’s representation through reservation in the upcoming student union elections.