A section of students at the Jamia Millia Islamia has called for a boycott of the polls for the election of an internal committee against sexual harassment alleging that the mode of election is undemocratic.
The varsity in a letter on February 20 had announced elections to be held for the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), opening the fray to three candidates in all, two girls, one each from undergraduate and postgraduate, stipulating that both girls should be class representatives. The third seat was announced to be filled by a boy representative from among the research students.
Students from the Left-backed All India Students' Association taking exception to the clause stipulating that girls must be class representatives only called for the boycott of the election, contending it to be a violation of the ICC norms.
"We completely reject the notice issued by the Dean, Students Welfare (20th February, 2019) regarding Elections for members of ICC in which it has been arbitrarily dictated that Elections at UG and PG level will be held only amongst CRs (Class Representatives), while at Research level their Representatives can contest.
"The Notice is in violation of 'UGC Regulations - 2015 on Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions'. The UGC Regulation clearly mentions that three student representatives are to be elected through transparent democratic methods and nowhere it reads that only Class Representatives can contest for ICC," the student group said in a statement.
A member of the group told IANS that a delegation will meet the administration on Monday with its contentions.
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Although there is already a complaints committee at the university, the students alleged that it exists "only on paper" since it doesn't have any elected members.
The varsity has scheduled the elections to be held on March 13.
-- IANS
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