Deepankar ShardaTribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19In the absence of swankycars, pretty faces, big ralliesand the hand-to-hand cam-paigning, the student coun-cil elections in Panjab Uni-versity (PU) seem to havelost their sheen.

Though the voting is tobe held on August 26, thepolitical buzz on the PUcampus has failed to movethe students. The opencampaigning is allowed tillAugust 25.

According to experts, sev-eral reasons, including theuse social media, strictnessby the authorities and thepolice and the lack of inter-est among students, havehit the political activity onthe campus.

Even the Student Centrethat usually witnessedhectic political activitycontinues to wear a desert-ed look.

“The poll is yet to catchthe attention of the work-ers and voters. It’s latebut the political activitywill go up in days ahead.All student parties aremaking plans for the cam-paigning but the lack ofinterest among students isforcing the parties to keepit a low-key affair till thelast leg of canvassing,”said Kulwant Singh, a par-ty worker.

Meanwhile, new stu-dents at PU are surprisedat the lack of politicalactivity on the campus.“We had heard a lot aboutthe elections in PU. How-ever, so far, nothing signif-icant has taken place. Theexcitement level too is

very low. Moreover, thereis nothing important tolook forward as of now,”

said Mankirat, a first-yearlaw students.

Another student, Rupin-der Kaur, added, “In hos-

tels, we have beenapproached for moviesand small parties by stu-dent outfits but theturnout remained low.

The shopkeepers on thePU campus, who usuallyearned quick bucks dur-ing the elections, are also doing the regularbusiness.

“There is nothing greatabout canvassing this year.Earlier, days before theelections, we used toemploy extra manpower toattend to the customers.But this time, we have nothired extra staff as the pollbuzz is missing,” said ashopkeeper on the varsitycampus.

c m y b

c m y b

If anyone demands bribe from you in Chandigarh,then please contact the Chandigarh VigilancePolice Station and Office, Additional DeluxeBuilding, Sector 9, Chandigarh. Strict action willbe taken against corrupt officials as per law.

PUBLIC APPEALCHANDIGARH VIGILANCE

DEPARTMENT

Issued in public interest by: CVO cum Adviserto the Administrator, U.T. Chandigarh

DPR/UT/9904-07

Aarti KapurTribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19Following the past practice,the prominent student par-ties selected their presiden-tial candidates from the pro-fessional departments whilethe other parties preferredthe smaller departments forthe student council elections.

Interestingly, five studentleaders from the UniversityInstitute of Engineering andTechnology (UIET) filedtheir nomination for the postof the president, which was

11 last year. Similarly, onlytwo student leaders filedtheir papers for the post fromthe University Institute ofLegal Studies, which wasnine last year. As per sources,the prominent student out-fits are aware that the UIEThas the largest number ofvoters (1,897) followed by theUILS (1,016).

In the past, Sahil Nandaand Gurindervir SinghAulakh of the UIET wereelected as president in 2008and 2010, respectively.

Surprisingly, other par-

ties have preferred candi-dates from the law depart-ment and the UniversityInstitute of Applied Man-agement and Sciences(UIAMS). As per universityrecords, the law departmenthas 1,209 voters while theUIAMS has 328 votes.

While the dental institutehas 363 students, the chemi-cal engineering departmenthas 752 students.

Interestingly, the depart-ment of ancient history, cul-ture and archaeology has 54votes but eight students have

filed papers for four posts.Similarly, four nominationshave been filed from the cen-tre for stem cell and tissueengineering department,which has 34 votes.

SOI state president VickyMiddukhera said the promi-nent student parties stillpreferred the departmentwhere the number of voterswas high.

NSUI senior leaderBirender Dhillon said theless number of studentleaders filed their papersfrom the professional

department as studentshad lost interest in the elec-tions due to the involve-ment of political parties.

Scuffle at UIFTDuring the filing of thenominations ManinderSingh, a PUSU worker anda MA-II student at thedepartment of policeadministration, wasattacked by five boys. Healleged that the studentswho attacked him were theSOI workers, who wereobjecting to the nomination

Student outfits bank on professional depts

This time, poll din missing at PU Lack of interest among students, strictness by authorities make elections a low-key affair

Chandigarh, August 19 As many as 13,681 studentswill vote at 146 pollingbooths during the PU stu-dent council elections. Thisyear, the authorities aregoing to decrease the num-ber of booths by 40. Accord-ing to fresh guidelines, 200voters will cast their vote ateach booth.

Dean (Student Welfare)Navdeep Goyal said theywere going to ask all univer-sity departments to furtherreduce the number ofpolling booths keeping inview the new guidelines.

The highest number ofpolling booths, which is 26,will be set up at the Univer-sity Institute of Engineeringand Technology where thenumber of voters is 1,897.Ten booths will be set up atthe University Institute ofLegal Studies where thenumber of voters is 1,016.

Six booths will be set up atthe law department for1,209 voters whereas in thechemical engineering andtechnology department,four booths will be set upfor 752 voters. — TNS

13,681 PUstudents tocast vote

■ The NSUI on Wednesday attacked SOI for allegedlyluring voters with money and fake promises through acartoon of their senior party leader, showing how heused the muscle and money power. The cartoon wasuploaded on a social networking site.

Slogan of the day

PUSU's slogan onsocial media-Variiyanda hairaan honalaazmi hai, Jitt PUSUdi pakki hai, elaanhona bakki hai(opponents areshocked that PUSU'swin is definite, onlythe announcement isto be made by theauthorities)

POLL SNIPPETS

CHANDIGARH TRIBUNE 2 CHANDIGARH | THURSDAY | 20 AUGUST 2015EDUCATION

PU STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTIONS

❝We had heard a lot about theelections in PU. However, so far,nothing significant has taken place.The excitement level too is very low.Moreover, there is nothing importantto look forward as of now.❞

MANKIRAT, FIRST-YEAR LAW STUDENT

SOI leaders chalk out a strategy for canvassing at Panjab University.

Though student council elections are scheduled for August 26, the Student Centre wore a deserted look at Panjab University on

Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: S CHANDAN

❝The poll is yet to catch theattention of the workers and voters.It’s late but the political activity willgo up in days ahead. All studentparties are making plans for thecampaigning but the lack of interestamong students is forcing theparties to keep it a low-key affair tillthe last leg of canvassing.❞

KULWANT SINGH, STUDENT PARTYWORKER

❝There is nothing great aboutcanvassing this year. Earlier, daysbefore the elections, we used toemploy extra manpower to attendto the customers. But this time, wehave not hired extra staff as the pollbuzz is missing.❞

SHOPKEEPER ON PU CAMPUS

■ The office of the Dean (Student Welfare) is being visitedby a large number of student leaders for petty works,especially related to girls.

■ The Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU),which is not in the fray this year has uploaded the oldpicture of their old party leaders on a social networking site.

■ The Panjab University Student Union (PUSU) gave detailsabout the protests, which the party staged in the past onseveral issues before uploading their agenda for theelections.

■ Students are in good mood as the faculty is busy withthe filing of nomination papers and no classes wereheld.

■ Strict checking at university gates played a spoilsport forthe outsiders, who wanted to roam freely in theuniversity.

■ SOI supporters pasted their party slogan “Keep calmand grow moustaches” on their vehicles.

NSUI INITIATES CARTOON WAR

SOPU UPLOADS OLD PHOTO

NEW SLOGAN TO ATTRACT STUDENTS

Four students rounded up Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19A scuffle took placebetween the Khalsa Politi-cal Student UnionAlliance and SOI during

filing of nominations atKhalsa College, Sector 26.Four student leaders, twoeach from both parties,were rounded up by thepolice and later left with awarning.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19A day after the Panjab Uni-versity authorities imple-mented the code of conductas per the Lyngdoh panelnorms, all student partieshave ignored the instruc-tions. During a visit to thecampus today, it was foundthat workers of all prominentstudent parties had pastedstickers on their vehicles andwere roaming in the univer-sity freely.

In fact, during a press con-ference of the son ofHimachal Pradesh ChiefMinister Virbhadra Singhand the Youth Congress pres-ident, Vikram Aditya, seniorstudent leaders of the NSUIpasted stickers on theirshirts. As per the Lyngdoh

panel guidelines, only hand-written posters are allowedfor canvassing and no print-ed material on vehicles isallowed.

As per the instructionsissued to the parties, theprinted material pasted onthe cars will be confiscatedby the security staff.

Meanwhile, Vikram Adityasaid he had held a meeting ofall HP students today to con-vince them to support theNSUI in the coming election.He said the directions hadbeen given by the party toorganise the meetings withstudents for which he cameto the university today.

Interestingly, when askedabout the violation of theLyngdoh panel norms by hisparty workers, he said he wasunaware about the norms.

Lyngdoh panel normsgiven the go-by

In violation of the norms, stickers of student outfits have been

pasted on cars at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

TRIBUNE PHOTO: S CHANDAN

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