The Maharashtra government has formed a 12-member expert committee to review the process for conducting student council elections in universities and affiliated colleges across the state.The Higher and Technical Education Department announced the panel through a Government Resolution (GR) issued on Thursday. The committee has been tasked with examining the challenges involved in conducting student elections and recommending measures to make the process transparent, structured and student-focused.The committee will be headed by Suhas Pednekar, former Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University, while Prasad Karande, Registrar of Mumbai University, will serve as the Member Secretary.
The other members include former vice-chancellors, pro-vice-chancellors, registrars and deans from major public universities in Maharashtra, including Savitribai Phule Pune University and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University.
The panel will consult stakeholders and examine the existing framework before submitting its recommendations to the state government.
According to the GR, the expert panel has been asked to submit a comprehensive report to the state government within one month.
The committee will recommend mechanisms for conducting student council elections in a manner that keeps them focused on academic and student-related issues. It will also examine ways to prevent external political interference and commercial influence in the election process.
The panel will be expected to address implementation-related challenges and suggest a roadmap for conducting elections across universities and affiliated colleges.
