New EFLU student union vows to tackle administrative issues and student concerns

Hyderabad:Students of the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) have elected a new student union on Wednesday, with key positions filled by representatives from diverse student organisations. However, the election process has sparked criticism due to procedural irregularities initiated by the administration, sidelining traditional democratic practices.

Porika Vikas of the Democratic Students Front (DSF) was elected president, while Aardra A. from the Left Front secured the vice-president position. The general secretary post went to Deena Elsa George, also from the Left Front. Other elected representatives include Noora Maisoon (joint secretary, Students for Social Justice), Nella Soumya (cultural secretary, DSF), and Arbaz Aman (sports secretary, United Students’ Front).

This year’s elections departed from established norms, as the administration skipped crucial steps such as dissolving the outgoing student union through a General Body Meeting. The student-run Election Commission of EFLU’s democratic process, was also bypassed. Instead, the administration announced a faculty-run Election Commission and notified the election process at the last minute.

“The notification for both the faculty-run Election Commission and the elections at the eleventh hour was a denial of the student body’s rights. The student union elections are supposed to be a democratic, student-run process with very little interference from the administration. We will ensure that it stays this way from now on,” said general secretary Deena Elsa George, expressing dissatisfaction with the administrative overreach.

The Left Front, contesting as an independent panel, achieved significant victories, securing three major posts, including vice-president and general secretary, alongside the ICC PhD Representative position. All seven of their candidates for councillor positions across different schools were also elected.

Reflecting on the campaign, George said, “One of the biggest goals that me and my organisation had with the elections was to try to bring about a wider politicisation of the student community on campus, so we will be working forward on that front.”

The newly-elected union has pledged to prioritise several pressing issues, including the establishment of a Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GS-CASH), a demand that remains unmet despite repeated calls from the student community.

“Past years have been turbulent with multiple issues with the administration. One of the student community’s demands was to set up a GS-CASH on campus, which has not happened yet. Therefore, there will be efforts towards bringing that change on campus with the support of the student body,” George told Deccan Chronicle.

The union also intends to address everyday challenges faced by students, ranging from academic issues to accommodation concerns. “These are the bigger demands, but there are also ground-level issues of the students which need to be addressed, in terms of academics, accommodation, etc., which also we’ll be working towards,” George added.