MP Student Union Elections Return After 8 Years Following High Court Order

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered the state government to conduct student union elections across all 15 state-run universities, breaking an eight-year freeze on campus democracy. Despite student unions featuring in academic calendars, the government had repeatedly postponed actual elections, ignoring demands from student organisations including ABVP and NSUI, as well as frameworks established by the Supreme Court and UGC.

The absence of elected unions left students without formal representative bodies to raise collective grievances on examinations, results, and other university matters. Youth Congress leader Abhijeet Pandey criticised the government for ignoring Supreme Court directives and UGC communications on student representation.

Madhya Pradesh last held student union elections in 2011 through indirect mode following UGC communication based on Supreme Court directions, but the process was halted subsequently. Pandey welcomed the High Court's order and expressed hope the state government would now comply and resume the electoral process.