Indiscipline during students polls: Hindu College rusticates 15

New Delhi: Around 15 students of Delhi University’s Hindu College have been rusticated and action against three more is underway with charges of “indiscipline” during the college union elections, the college principal said on Monday. “The action has been taken on the recommendations of the college’s Disciplinary Resource Committee which has found the involvement of these students in disruption during the college elections.

Students are rusticated for a finite period based on their level of involvement in the hindrance,” Hindu College Principal Prof Anju Srivastava told PTI. In an e-mail dated October 27, the Disciplinary Resource Committee of the college informed students that it had noticed “gross indiscipline” on their part during September 15-18 when elections for the students’ union in the college were conducted.

The committee in its e-mail cited its October 16 meeting with the students during which it showed them photos and videos of their “involvement” in the alleged incidents. “... the committee has found that your conduct during September 15-18 falls in the act of gross indiscipline (sic),” the letter read.

Students of Hindu College had in September staged a hunger strike over the rejection of 30 student nominations for the positions of ‘prime minister’ and central councillors at the college. At Hindu College, the head of the students’ union is referred to as ‘prime minister’ instead of president. The college had cited low attendance as the reason for the cancellation of the nominations and ordered an inquiry after the matter escalated and required police action.