SIO K’taka submits recommendations on Campus Elections, Urges Govt to reinstate student unions
Bengaluru: The Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) Karnataka has submitted a set of recommendations to the state government urging the reinstatement of student union elections across higher education institutions, citing the need to revive campus democracy and student representation.
The recommendations are based on a statewide survey conducted by SIO Karnataka across colleges and universities in the state to understand students’ views on campus elections. The survey, carried out through Google Forms, gathered responses from students studying in both government and private institutions, with a majority of respondents coming from private unaided colleges.
According to SIO Karnataka, the findings show that while many students recognise the importance of student union elections, their awareness of the legal framework, rules and structure governing such elections remains limited. The organisation said this underlines the need for awareness and sensitisation programmes before elections are conducted.
The survey found strong support among students for campus elections as a means to preserve a democratic atmosphere within educational institutions. Respondents viewed student unions as platforms that help develop leadership skills, promote accountability, and facilitate structured dialogue between students and college administrations. Students also called for clear, state-mandated guidelines to ensure that elections are conducted smoothly and remain free from violence, external interference and political misuse.
A large majority of respondents favoured imposing a cap on election expenditure, expressing concern that excessive spending could lead to conflict and disrupt the academic environment. Students stressed that campus politics should remain non-partisan, ethical and transparent, and should focus on student welfare rather than external political agendas.
SIO Karnataka noted that campus democracy in India has historically produced several prominent political leaders at the national and state levels, including Sitaram Yechury, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Arun Jaitley, Nirmala Sitharaman, M.K. Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, Ashok Gehlot and Prakash Karat. In Karnataka too, leaders such as D.K. Shivakumar, B.K. Hariprasad, K.R. Ramesh Kumar, Roshan Baig, Saleem Ahmed, N.A. Haris, Ramalinga Reddy, Shobha Karandlaje and Rizwan Arshad have emerged from student politics.
Welcoming recent remarks by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in support of campus elections, Mohammed Hayyan, State Secretary of SIO Karnataka, reiterated the organisation’s long-standing demand for the restoration of student union elections in the state. He said such elections play a crucial role in nurturing political awareness, social responsibility and democratic values among students.
A delegation from SIO Karnataka submitted a memorandum outlining its recommendations to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Sharanaprakash Patil, and Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar. The delegation also met Congress MLC Rizwan Arshad at his residence.
The delegation included SIO Karnataka State President S. Adi Al Hasan, State Secretary Mohammed Hayyan and State Secretary Abubakar Siddique.
SIO Karnataka urged the government to update the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations to suit present-day realities, introduce campus elections initially in pilot mode, enforce expenditure limits, set age restrictions for candidates, and hold consultations with educationists, civil society groups and student organisations. The organisation said reinstating student union elections would help restore a democratic and inclusive environment across campuses in Karnataka.
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AI to operate new Dreamliner with limitations; awaits certain FAA approvals
New Delhi (PTI): Air India will operate its new Boeing 787-9 aircraft with certain limitations as the Tata Group-owned airline is awaiting approvals from the US watchdog FAA for the sliding privacy doors in the plane's business class suites and for 18 economy class seats, sources said on Friday.
The aircraft, also the first custom-made Dreamliner to join the Air India fleet after takeover by the Tata Group in January 2022, will enter commercial operations on the Mumbai-Frankfurt route from February 1.
The plane has 296 seats, comprising 30 business class, 28 premium economy and 238 economy class seats. Out of them, 18 economy class seats will not be available for use till the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) give its approval, the sources told PTI.
In a statement to PTI, an airline spokesperson said the new B787-9 will enter commercial operations on February 1 with certain limitations.
"The sliding privacy doors in our business class suites will remain securely fixed in the open position and unavailable for passenger use, as this specific seat feature awaits regulatory approval. We expect to receive the necessary approval in the near future. All other seat features are available for passenger use," the spokesperson said.
Separately, a total of 18 specific economy class seats are blocked from sale and are also physically blocked from use.
"The seat product itself (RECARO 3710) is fully certified and in regular operation on many airlines worldwide; however, there is a regulatory interpretation affecting the 18 specific seats that we are working with the manufacturer and regulator to resolve.
"The 18 specific seats will only be offered for sale once full certification is received," the spokesperson said.
When contacted over e-mail, an FAA spokesperson told PTI, "We don't comment on ongoing certification work".
There was no comment from Boeing.
In 2026, five more wide-body aircraft -- three Boeing 787-9s and 2 A350-1000s -- are set to join the Air India fleet. The airline, currently, has 188 planes, and the legacy Boeing 787s are undergoing retrofit progressively.
According to the spokesperson, the product limitations due to pending certification apply only to the new B787-9 aircraft, and not to the retrofitted B787-8 planes.
These are two different variants, and their interior fitout undergoes a separate certification process. The certifications for seats and features on the B787-8 are complete and have been approved by relevant regulators and will be available for customer use, the spokesperson added.
The sources also said that some global airlines are awaiting certain regulatory approvals for their business class seats. These include Lufthansa, which is awaiting regulatory certification nod for some of the business class seats in their new Boeing 787-9 aircraft, they added.
At present, Air India has 33 Boeing 787s -- 26 legacy Boeing 787-8s and 7 Boeing 787-9s, including 6 from Vistara and the new one.
In 2025, Boeing delivered 14 Boeing 787s to various airlines, including 12 Boeing 787-9s.
