Karnataka student elections will return to colleges and universities this year after the state Cabinet approved their reintroduction, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said on Wednesday. Political parties and student organisations will not be allowed to participate, while only officially enrolled students of each institution will be eligible to contest and vote.
The decision covers universities and colleges but excludes schools. Participation will not be compulsory. Students at each institution will decide whether to hold elections, and college managements will not have the authority to block or mandate the process, Parameshwara said after the Cabinet meeting.
Under the proposed structure, every college will have one student president, two vice-presidents, one of whom must be a woman, one general secretary and two joint secretaries, including one woman. The structure will also include a six-member executive committee with two women members.
The government has ruled out reservations in the student elections. Parameshwara said the decision was intended to prevent caste-based elections among students. The government has not yet announced the detailed rules governing nominations, polling, eligibility procedures or the schedule for individual institutions.
Student elections were held previously in Karnataka colleges but were later banned. The Cabinet’s decision followed the recommendations of a committee headed by Minister Sharan Prakash Patil. The committee visited colleges and universities before submitting its report to the state government.
Parameshwara said the primary objective of restoring elections was to develop leadership qualities among students. The proposed arrangement is designed to keep the contests institution-specific by excluding political parties and student organisations from direct participation.
The Deputy Chief Minister also provided an update on the government’s Bharat Jodo Yuva Sanghas programme, which plans to establish 10,000 youth clubs at the village level. Membership registration was temporarily halted because of technical problems, but a new registration form will be distributed through deputy commissioners from Tuesday. The government expects to launch the programme by the end of the month.
About 7.36 lakh members have registered against a target of 10 lakh, according to Parameshwara. Each association will have a 15-member structure, including a president, secretary and vice-president, as well as a government nodal officer or representative. Associations will need to register with the Registrar of Societies for official recognition.
The government plans to allocate about Rs 4 crore per Assembly constituency annually for the youth-club programme, with Rs 10 lakh earmarked for each association. Activities may include sports, cultural events, National Day celebrations and other local programmes. The student election modalities and the timing of their implementation are expected to be decided separately.
