Delhi HC asks DU to consider 50 pc women quota in student’s union polls

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi University to decide, within three weeks, on a representation demanding 50 per cent reservation for women in student's union elections.

A bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, though refusing to judicially examine the plea, ordered the central varsity to decide the representation moved by Shabana Hussain, an MA (Buddhist Studies) student at DU’s Arts Faculty, within three weeks.

The Bench, also comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, orally asked the DU administration to ensure the safety and security of women students in the election process.

The writ petition instituted before the Delhi HC highlighted that there are 53 per cent female students at DU but their political participation and representation are very low.

"To measure the progress of our democratic system, we need to measure the progress of women in our democratic system," said the plea, adding that political participation means not only exercising the right to vote but also power sharing, co-decision making, and co-policy making at all levels of governance. As female students are not adequately represented in the Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU) and College Student Unions, critical issues like sexual harassment and demand for amendment of curfew timings in hostels and many more are found missing in many party manifestos, it added.

"Recently the Parliament has passed a 33 per cent reservation for women (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) in all state Assembly and Parliament elections so it’s high time that Delhi University should also think about adequate women reservation in DUSU and College Student Union elections and give the female students equal representation and participation,” said the plea, filed through advocate Ashu Bidhuri.

It also referred to the Uttarakhand government’s order mandating all the state universities to have 50 per cent reservation for female candidates in the student union elections. The petitioner, Hussain, who was Vice President of the student union at DU’s Deshbandhu College in 2017, works for the uplift and empowerment of women in society.

In a related development, the apex court, in May this year, had directed the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to reserve at least 1/3rd posts for women in its executive committee. In effect, one post of the office bearers, two senior executive members and three executive members will be mandatorily reserved for women. The SC had clarified that its order would not exclude women from contesting other SCBA posts.