Delhi HC dismisses plea to hold student elections in Department of Buddhist Studies

New Delhi [India], September 24 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed a writ petition filed by a student from the Department of Buddhist Studies, Delhi University, challenging the department's failure to hold elections for student union positions.
The student Shabana Hussain argued that despite being part of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU), the department had not conducted elections for over a decade, depriving students of their right to elect their representatives. Instead, the department had been appointing students to key posts like President and Central Councillors, bypassing elections, the plea stated.
The Delhi High Court's bench Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, while dismissing Hussain's plea, noted that the deadline for submitting nominations had already passed, making it too late to address the matter.
The court observed that since the last date for filing nomination papers was September 19, 2024, it could not intervene at this stage. Consequently, the court decided not to entertain the petition any further, concluding that the plea was filed too late for any effective relief regarding the elections in the Department of Buddhist Studies.
Hussain wished to contest for a Central Councillor position in the upcoming elections scheduled for September 27, claimed she was denied the opportunity when the department and university authorities failed to provide her a nomination form.
Hussain, through her advocate Ashu Bidhuri contended that this undermined her democratic rights. Despite reaching out to the university's leadership and election officials, she received no response, prompting her to seek legal action. However, the High Court rejected her petition, thus maintaining status quo.
After the Delhi High Court dismissed the petition, Shabana Hussain's lawyer, Advocate Ashu Bidhuri, stated that they would be moving a division bench or filing an appeal against the dismissal order.