NEW DELHI, 11 Apr: The Supreme Court will hear on 23 July a plea challenging a recommendation by the Lyngdoh Committee, which stipulates that a candidate cannot contest more than once for the post of an office bearer of a students’ union.
The plea came up for hearing on Wednesday before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan.
“Counsel for the respondent(s) seeks and is granted four weeks’ time to file the counter affidavit, if so required. Post the matter on 23 July,” the bench said in its 10 April order.
Following an order of the apex court, the union human resource development ministry had constituted a committee under JM Lyngdoh, a former chief election commissioner, to make recommendations on issues related to student bodies and student union elections conducted in universities, colleges and other higher education institutions across India.
The committee had submitted its report on 26 May, 2006.
The top court is hearing a plea filed by Uttarakhand resident Naveen Prakash Nautiyal and others against recommendation 6.5.6 of the Lyngdoh Committee.
The recommendation states, “The candidate shall have one opportunity to contest for the post of office bearer, and two opportunities to contest for the post of an executive member.”
The apex court had on 12 February sought responses from the Centre and others on the plea.
The panel’s recommendations were accepted by the top court, which directed on 22 September, 2006 that they shall be implemented by all colleges and universities for student union elections to be held thereafter. (PTI)
