The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union or JNUSU is a
students' union
A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to soci ...
at
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public major research university located in New Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 and named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The university is known for leading faculties and r ...
,
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the NCT Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati B ...
.
The JNUSU follows the student drafted JNUSU constitution.
The Students' Union has four central panel positions. These are the posts of President, Vice President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary.
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 Vidhyarti Parishad (ABVP) has won it once.
Notable presidents of JNUSU include
CPI(M)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxist–Leninist communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in terms of membership and electoral seats and one of the nat ...
politician
Sitaram Yechury
Sitaram Yechury (born 12 August 1952) is an Indian marxist politician and a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He is a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the largest communist party in India.
E ...
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.
Vijoo Krishnan
Dr. Vijoo Krishnan is an Indian peasant leader, writer on Agrarian Issues and the All India General Secretary of All India Kisan Sabha. He is a central committee member of Communist Party of India (Marxist). He is also part of the six-member ce ...
became the president of JNUSU in 1998. D Raghunandan,
D. P. Tripathi,
Nalini Ranjan Mohanty
Nalini Ranjan Mohanty is a retired IOFS officer and former Chairman & Managing Director of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). He is a former president of the Aeronautical Society of India (ASI) and has been the chairman and managing direct ...
also served as President.
Chandrashekhar Prasad
Chandrashekar Prasad (20 September 1964 – 31 March 1997) popularly known as Chandu was a student leader and later an activist affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation. He graduated from the Jawaharlal Nehru Uni ...
another president of the JNSU was assassinated after joining politics in Bihar in 1997.
JNUSU elections
JNUSU elections are conducted by students through an elected Election Committee.
In 2006, the
Lyngdoh Committee, 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".
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.
After 2015, the left parties have been fighting the elections as one unit under the umbrella of United Left.
Union Presidents
JNU is known for best Presidential debates by all candidates before elections.
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
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
Kanhaiya Kumar is an Indian political activist who served as the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union and leader of the All India Students Federation (AISF). He served as National Executive Council member of Communis ...
joined the
CPI
A consumer price index (CPI) is a price index, the price of a weighted average market basket of consumer goods and services purchased by households. Changes in measured CPI track changes in prices over time.
Overview
A CPI is a statistic ...
and
Sandeep Singh
Sandeep Singh (born 27 February 1986) is an Indian professional field hockey player from Haryana and an ex-captain of the Indian national hockey team. He generally features as a full back and is a penalty corner specialist for the team. He ...
joined the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British ...
.
Sandeep Mahapatra has been the only JNUSU president from
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) () is a right-wing all India student organisation affiliated to the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
History
The ABVP, founded in 1948 with the initiative of the RSS ...
(ABVP).
Notable student organisations
These student organisations contest in JNUSU:
*
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) () is a right-wing all India student organisation affiliated to the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
History
The ABVP, founded in 1948 with the initiative of the RSS ...
(ABVP)
*
All India Students Association (AISA)
*
All India Students Federation (AISF)
*
Students' Federation of India
The Students' Federation of India (abbreviated as SFI) is an Indian left-wing student organisation politically aligned to the ideologies of Independence, Democracy and Socialism. Currently, V. P. Sanu and Mayukh Biswas are elected as the All ...
(SFI)
*
Muslim Students Federation - MSF (MSF)
*
Fraternity Movement
Fraternity Movement is a students' party in India working for strengthening democracy, social justice and fraternity. It is a growing student organization in many regions of India especially in Kerala and Delhi.
The slogan of the movement is 'Dem ...
(FM)
*
Campus Front of India (CFI)
*
Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association
Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) is a student organization formed on 15 November 2014 at Jawaharlal Nehru University on Birsa Munda's birth anniversary. It claims to work for student rights and the issues affecting SCs, STs, OB ...
(BAPSA)
*
(SIO)
*
National Students' Union of India
The National Students Union of India, the student wing of the Indian National Congress (INC or Congress), was established on 9 April 1971. The organisation was founded by Indira Gandhi after merging the Kerala Students Union and the West Ben ...
(NSUI)
*
Mithila Student Union
Mithila Student Union (MSU) ( Maithili : मिथिला स्टूडेंट यूनियन) is a non-political student organisation whose sole purpose is the development of Mithila and Maithils living in India. It is one of the large ...
(MSU) (Supporting DSU)
*
All India Democratic Students Organisation
All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) is a student organisation in India. It was founded on 28 December 1954, and is affiliated with the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist). Its motto is ''struggle, unity, progress''.
Bas ...
(AIDSO) (Supporting left unity)
*
Democratic Students' Union
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
(DSU) (Not contesting in elections)
*Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students Organisation] (BASO)
*Democratic Students Federation (DSF)
*
Ambedkar Students' Association
Ambedkar Students' Association (ASA) is a student organization in India representing students from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST), Other Backward Class (OBC), religious minorities and other oppressed communities. ASA works for the ...
(ASA) (Supporting BAPSA)
*
All India Revolutionary Students Federation (1985 - 2001) (Organised student protest - supporting DSU)
*
United Dalit Students’ Forum
United Dalit Students' Forum was a socio-cultural organization formed at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi on 6 December 1991 by students.
See also
*Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association
*Ambedkar Students' Association
Ambedkar Students ...
(UDSF) (Supporting BAPSA)
*
Students For Society
The Students For Society (SFS) was founded in Panjab University, Chandigarh on 28 September 2010 as a students' discussion group for holding discussions on books and social issues, on the 103rd birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh. It rejected the ...
(SFS) (Supporting DSU & BASO)
*
Student Organisation of India
Student Organization of India (SOI) is the student division of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) party in India. The organization is a part of Panjab University, Chandigarh.
History
In 2015, SOI Alliance won all four seats in the Panjab Universi ...
(SOI) (Previously)
*
All Idu Mishmi Students Union
All Idu Mishmi Students Union (AIMSU) is a community-based student’s organization of Idu Mishmi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, India.
The organization is socially active and best known for its movement against dams in Arunachal Pradesh's Dibang ...
(AIMSU) (Supporting DSU)
See also
*
Delhi University Students Union
Delhi University Students Union, generally abbreviated as DUSU, is a students' union at the University of Delhi. It is primarily responsible for building and preserving a healthy political culture and an atmosphere of open debates on the campus ...
*
Banaras Hindu University Students' Union
The Banaras Hindu University Students' Union generally abbreviated as BHU Students' Union or BHUSU, was the students' union of Banaras Hindu University. The Students' Union had been responsible for representing students, both within the Universi ...
Notes
References
Further reading
* Shakil, Albeena (2008).
JNU Students' Elections and the Lyngdoh Recommendations.
PDF ''Economic and Political Weekly''. 43 (50): 15–17.
ISSN
An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication, such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs ...
&nbs
0012-9976
External links
*
{{Jawaharlal Nehru University
Students' unions in India
Jawaharlal Nehru University