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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Gill, Mandhana win top BCCI awards
New Delhi (PTI): Prolific batters Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were named the Best International Cricketers (Men's and Women's) at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 here on Sunday, recognising their outstanding performances in the 2024–2025 season.
Gill won the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award, while Mandhana received the award for the fifth time.
For Gill, it was his second Cricketer of the Year award after first winning it in 2023.
Former stars Roger Binny, Rahul Dravid and Mithali Raj were honoured with the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the BCCI's highest honour, recognising their outstanding service to Indian cricket.
India's five trophy-winning sides (2025 ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 Women's ODI World Cup, 2025 U-19 Women's World Cup, 2026 Men's U-19 World Cup, and 2026 T20 World Cup) were honoured as well on the occasion.
Gill enjoyed a stellar 2025 and established himself as one of the team's most dependable batters in the longer formats.
On the tour of England, skipper Gill led from the front in the five-Test series, finishing as the top run-getter with 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, including four centuries and a top score of 269.
Gill also played a pivotal role in India's Champions Trophy triumph last year, having entered the tournament as the No.1-ranked ODI batter in the world. He made an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in India's opening match, and finished the tournament with 188 runs.
Mandhana finished 2025 with 1,703 international runs, including 1,362 in ODIs, the most by any woman in a calendar year. In doing so, Mandhana became the first batter in women's ODI history to score 1,000 runs in a single calendar year.
Mandhana also made handsome contributions to India's maiden Women's World Cup title triumph, aggregating 434 runs in nine matches to end as the tournament as India's leading run-scorer and the second-highest overall.
Before the World Cup, the left-hander Mandhana smashed a 50-ball century against Australia in New Delhi to register the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian batter, surpassing Virat Kohli's 52-ball effort.
Shafali Varma (Best Woman Cricketer Senior Domestic One-Day), Ira Jadhav (Best Woman Cricketer (Domestic), Harsh Dubey (Best All Rounder in the Ranji Trophy), and Ayush Mhatre (Best All Rounder in Domestic Limited Overs Competitions) too won awards for their strong performances across the 2024-25 domestic season.
