DUSU polls: relief for students as varsity scraps ₹1-lakh bond rule

 The Delhi High Court on Friday disposed of a plea challenging a Delhi University (DU) notification that allegedly mandated a ₹1-lakh deposit for contesting the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, after the university clarified that no monetary deposit was required.

The August 8 notification had required candidates to execute a bond of ₹1 lakh to cover any defacement or damage caused by them or their supporters during the polls.

Defacement has long plagued DUSU elections, with university walls and public property frequently plastered with posters and graffiti.

Appearing before Justice Mini Pushkarna on Friday, DU’s counsel submitted that candidates would only be required to file an affidavit along with a security bond and a written undertaking, without needing to deposit any money.

Taking note of this clarification, the court disposed of the petition filed by two students, Anjali and Abhishek Kumar, who had argued that the requirement was “unconstitutional and discriminatory”.

“We welcome the High Court judgment. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for thousands like me, students from humble backgrounds and women, to raise our voices and think of representing our peers. This is a victory for all DU students,” said Ms. Anjali