The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on September 18 released its 21-point manifesto titled “WoManifesto” for the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) Elections.
The key promises of the ABVP, which is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), include affordable metro train travel for students through concession passes, ‘one course, one fees’, special university buses for students, and construction of new hostels and girls’ hostels in every college.
Addressing a press conference, Aprajita, ABVP’s candidate for the Secretary post, emphasized the party’s commitment to women’s empowerment, mentioning initiatives like ‘Mission Sahasi’ for self-defense training and ‘Ritumati Abhiyan’ for sanitary pad distribution.
She said that the ABVP aims to further these efforts through measures like restoring and renewing sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators in all colleges, full-time gynecologist and psychologists in the WUS (World University Service) health center in the DU, pink booths near every hostel, installation of CCTV cameras inside and outside college campuses, hiring female trainers in sports and co-curricular activities, among others.
Tushar Dedha, ABVP’s candidate for the president’s post, said, “Previous ABVP-led DUSUs have diligently addressed student concerns. We are committed to addressing issues like fee hikes, expanding hostel infrastructure, and prioritizing mental health.”
ABVP Delhi State Secretary, Harsh Attri, said that the ABVP’s manifesto is solution-oriented, emphasizing a three-fold approach for the DU curriculum: review, rational debate, and revise.
“Additionally, the manifesto includes demands for improved amenities such as water coolers at every 100 meters of Chhatra Marg, sanitation in every college, ‘Mindfulness’ Centers in DU, effective implementation of ‘Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat’ Program, special arrangements for the commute of divyang (differently-abled) students, and meaningful employment opportunities along with professional development training through an effective placement cell,” Mr. Attri said.
He said that the organization remains dedicated to advancing the interests of the student community and fostering positive change in higher education.
On Friday, all major student outfits announced their candidates for the DUSU elections scheduled for September 22.
Putting an end to the speculation about a possible alliance between the student outfits associated with the INDIA bloc parties to take on the RSS’ student wing, the ABVP, candidates of the Congress-linked National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the left-wing student bodies — All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Students’ Federation of India (SFI) — filed their nominations for the posts of DUSU’s president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary.
The last DUSU elections were held in 2019, in which the ABVP had emerged as the winner and as the elections could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities had extended the tenure of the student council led by the ABVP.
