Left unity sweeps JNU Students' Union polls, defeats RSS-backed ABVP
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New Delhi (PTI): The Left Unity on Thursday retained its stronghold in the Jawaharlal Nehru University here, scoring a clean sweep by winning all four central panel posts in the students' union elections, the election committee said.
Just a year after the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) broke a decade-long dry spell by securing the joint secretary's post in the previous JNUSU polls, the Left alliance 'comprising the All India Students' Association (AISA), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) 'bounced back emphatically in the 2025'-26 election, reaffirming its long-standing dominance on the campus.
Aditi Mishra from AISA, contesting as the United Left's presidential candidate, defeated RSS-backed ABVP's Vikas Patel by a margin of 449 votes, polling 1,937 votes against Patel's 1,488.
Mishra, who hails from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, is a PhD scholar at the Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory, School of International Studies (SIS). Her research focuses on "Gendered violence and the ways women of Uttar Pradesh have been mounting resistance since 2012."
Known for her activism on gender justice, she said the results were a mandate "against hooliganism, Islamophobia, casteism, and misogyny" and "in favour of quality and low-cost education."
Kizhakoot Gopika Babu from SFI bagged the vice-president's post after defeating ABVP's Tanya Kumari by 1,314 votes. Gopika secured 3,101 votes.
A PhD student at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, School of Social Sciences, she joined JNU in 2022 after completing her master's in Sociology from Miranda House, Delhi University.
She was actively involved in campaigns to reopen Barak Hostel and to conduct the JNUSU elections after they had been stalled.
Sunil Yadav of DSF and Danish Ali of AISA won the general secretary and joint secretary posts, respectively, after defeating their right-wing rivals Rajeshwar Kant Dubey and Anuj. Yadav secured 2,005 votes against Dubey's 1,901, while Ali won by a margin of 286 votes.
Yadav, a first-generation graduate from Bedipur village in Uttar Pradesh's Basti district, is a PhD scholar from SIS.
Ali, a first-year PhD student from the School of Social Sciences, hails from Bandarbarru village in Madhya Pradesh's Narsinghpur district.
This year, around 9,043 students were eligible to vote. The polls recorded a 67 per cent turnout, slightly lower than the previous election's 70 per cent. The campus saw vibrant participation with students queuing up outside hostels and schools amid chants, drumbeats and campaign songs.
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Karnataka govt tables bill in Assembly that prohibits social boycott, violators to face 3 yrs jail
Belagavi (PTI): Karnataka government on Thursday tabled a bill in the Assembly that prohibits and criminalises social boycott of a person or a group of persons, including their family, especially by "caste panchayats".
The bill also provides for a jail term of up to three years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for violation.
The 'Karnataka Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2025' that was tabled in the Assembly by Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa lists 20 forms of social boycotts, which includes refusal to deal with, work for hire or do business; denying opportunities, including access to services or contractual opportunities for rendering services.
Also, obstruction from participation in social, religious or community functions, congregations, assembly, meeting or procession; committing social ostracism on any grounds; blocking access to facilities; cutting-off of ties; among others.
As per the bill, it has been observed that the unconstitutional practices such as boycotts, imposition of various punishments by extra judicial bodies such as caste or community panchayats etc., are still in practice in various communities in the state, resulting in great harassment to individuals or groups in leading their lives with dignity.
Stating that this has adverse effects on the social life of the community and has given rise to ill feeling and disharmony in the society, it said, "it is therefore necessary to eradicate these evil and unconstitutional practices from the society."
The bill further states that the existing laws are found to be inadequate in dealing with such practices, and the government therefore considers it expedient to enact a legislation.
"It is accordingly proposed to prevent the evil practices of imposition of social boycott, social discrimination and social disabilities at various levels by caste or community panchayats or by its members and prescribe punishment for such social boycott. It is also proposed to appoint the social boycott prohibition officer," it said.
The bill makes it clear that social boycott is prohibited and its commission and practice shall be an offence.
"Any person who imposes or causes to impose or practice any social boycott on any member of his community, shall on conviction be punished with imprisonment of either description, which may be extended to three years or with fine which may be extended to rupees one lakh or with both," he said.
It said, any assembly or congregation of persons to discuss imposing a social boycott will be "unlawful" and attract a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.
It further says that every person who aids or abets the commission of an offence shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to Rs one lakh or with both.
Any offences punishable in this proposed legislation shall be cognizable and bailable.
The bill provides for the government to appoint a Social Boycott Prohibition Officer to detect offences.
The government also tabled "The Greater Bengaluru Governance (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Assembly on Thursday.
The bill tabled by Minister Mahadevappa on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar amends the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024 to include the members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assembly and State Legislative Council as members of the Greater Bengaluru Authority.
It also provides for including the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary Urban Development Department, and the Additional Chief Secretary or the Principal Secretary Finance Department as ex-officio members of the authority. Also to appoint the Additional Chief Secretary Urban Development Department as a member of the executive committee.
It also provides for -- the re-division of wards in respect of newly incorporated local areas to be carried out within a specified period; bringing clarity to the conduct of elections for newly added local areas to the Greater Bengaluru region; among other things.
