With the Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) elections scheduled for September 22, major student outfits announced their candidates on September 15. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Communist Party of India-backed Students Federation of India, All India Students Association, and Congress-led student wing National Students' Union of India (NSUI) have all fielded candidates.
Similar to how assembly and national elections have parties promoting their manifestos for the most amount of votes, the return of DUSU elections post Covid also meant students having the opportunity to tout their agendas.
One such instance is of NSUI releasing a five point election manifesto for female students, which includes promises concerning menstrual leaves, harassment, security, safety, and infrastructure.
NSUI's five-point manifesto for female students
NSUI's women's manifesto, released by former DUSU President Amrita Dhawan and NSUI Secretary candidate Yakshna Sharma, promises female students of menstrual leaves upto 12 days, while providing legal assistance for any harassment, moral policing, cyberbulling related cases. The Congress student body has assured to set up an emergency response system for any distress calls or stress, hire more female guards, increased police patrolling, street lights, and CCTV cameras.
ABVP releases 'WoManifesto'
Rivaling NSUI's women-centric policies, ABVP came up with the 'WoManifesto' to emphasize their commitment towards women empowerment, with initiatives like 'Mission Sahasi' regarding self defence and 'Ritumati Abhiyan’ for sanitary pad distribution gaining prominence.
In a press conference by Aprajita, ABVP’s candidate for the Secretary post, it was highlighted that the ABVP will try to restore vending machines or sanitray pads, while having full-time gynecologist and psychologists in DU's health centre. Pink booths near hostels, CCTV cameras inside and outside college campuses, female coaches in sports, etc, are other issues addressed towards female student populace at DU.
The DUSU 2023 elections, being conducted for the first time since Covid, had the student outfits filing their nominations for the posts of DUSU’s president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary.
