After the Congress’ National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the Left-backed SFI-AISA alliance, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) on Saturday released its manifesto for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls, promising subsidised metro passes, free Wi-Fi, health insurance schemes and measures for specially-abled students. The organisation also stressed that its leadership works on the campus throughout the year and not just during elections.
Prepared after receiving more than 5,000 suggestions from students, the ABVP’s manifesto gives top priority to issues of education, security, health, sports and employment.
At a press conference, ABVP national general secretary Virendra Singh Solanki, national secretary Shivangi Kharwal and Delhi State secretary Sarthak Sharma joined the organisation’s central panel candidates — Aryan Maan (president), Govind Tanwar (vice president), Kunal Chaudhary (secretary) and Deepika Jha (joint secretary) — to release the document.
Among the key promises are subsidised health insurance for students, construction of new hostels, accessibility audits to make campuses more inclusive, increased budgets for academic and cultural societies, adequate sports equipment and nutrition, timely declaration of examination results and research support for final-year scholars.
“The ABVP manifesto highlights the real issues faced by students. By prioritising subsidised metro passes, provisions for specially-abled students and women-centric measures, the ABVP-led DUSU is committed to working 365 days a year in the interest of students,” Solanki said.
Presidential candidate Maan said the outfit will focus on sports facilities, accessibility and digital access, while vice-presidential nominee Tanwar emphasised job fairs, internship support and entrepreneurship skill centres.
Chaudhary, contesting for the secretary’s post, said the ABVP would work for subsidised health insurance, wellness societies and open gyms. Joint-secretary nominee Jha highlighted women’s safety and inclusion, promising sanitary-pad vending machines, girls’ common rooms, self-defence camps, permanent gynaecologists at health centres and scholarships for transgender students.
Over the years, the ABVP-led DUSU has credited itself for initiatives such as the U-Special bus service, approval for new women’s hostels, land allotment for a student activity centre, internship programmes and campus safety measures.
With its new set of promises, the students’ body said it aims to strengthen its position by combining affordable commute, health and wellness, and inclusive campus facilities for the Delhi University’s student community.
The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) manifesto stressed inclusive infrastructure, affordable education, and student rights. It proposed a barrier-free campus, a monthly allowance of `5,000 for students with disabilities,
their representation in university committees and support systems for North-Eastern and linguistic minority students.
Sustainable campuses and rejection of the National Education Policy in favour of greater public funding also featured prominently in its manifesto. The NSUI also launched a manifesto specifically for women, with a focus on safety and health, promising dedicated helplines, sanitary pad vending machines, menstrual health awareness campaigns and gender sensitivity on campus.
The SFI-AISA alliance termed its agenda “a true student-centric manifesto” and promised to resist fee hikes, push for elected Internal Complaints Committees and gender sensitisation cells in all colleges, and restore equal opportunity and grievance redressal mechanisms. It also pledged menstrual leave for women students and demanded the inclusion of women’s colleges like Lady Shri Ram College, Gargi College, and Daulat Ram College in the union.The alliance sharply criticised the NEP and the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme, arguing that valuable teaching hours were being diverted to Skill Enhancement and Value Added Courses instead of core subjects.
