SHIMLA, September 28— Members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) on Saturday staged a protest at Himachal Pradesh University, demanding the immediate restoration of student body elections that have been suspended for more than a decade.
The agitation intensified when SFI activists gheraoed Congress legislator Harish Janartha, who represents Shimla (Urban) and also sits on the university’s executive council. Protesters raised “Janartha go back” slogans as he arrived to attend an executive council meeting. A minor scuffle broke out when police attempted to disperse the crowd.
After the confrontation, SFI members staged a sit-in on the campus, condemning the police action and reiterating their demand for elections to the Students’ Central Association (SCA), which have not been held since 2013.
“SCA elections have been suspended since 2013, which has severely undermined the democratic rights of the students,” said Ashish, joint secretary of the SFI’s university unit. “In the absence of elected representatives, the students lack a proper platform to voice their concerns before the administration.”
The students also raised concerns over hostel shortages, delays in recruiting non-teaching staff, and the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. They later submitted a memorandum to the executive council, urging action on their demands, particularly the restoration of student body polls.
Meanwhile, members of the Himachal Pradesh University Teachers’ Association (HPUTA) staged a parallel protest. Waving black flags, they demanded the reinstatement of the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS), which has been on hold. The association noted that nearly 5,000 teachers across the state have been denied CAS benefits, hampering academic promotions and career progression.
HPUTA members also submitted a memorandum to the executive council, pressing for immediate redressal of their demands.
