This ‘government’ will have all the paraphernalia of a democratic set-up: A written constitution with provisions of a legislative, an executive and a court.

A crucial difference between the novel concept of student government and other student bodies in educational institutions in the country is that the students would not be mere advisors but will be competent to exercise judicial and legislative powers.

The ‘democracy dividend’ for students by the university is meant as a tribute to and acknowledgment of the youth power in the country where more than half the population is under the age of 25, claim officials of the university.

Vice Chancellor Manjit Singh Kang claims it would be the first such experiment of meaningful empowerment of students in the country.

Encouraged by an overwhelming response to the proposal from the officials and students, he hopes to set up the first student government on the campus from the next academic session.

Delegating power

According to the proposal, a ‘Constitution’ would be drafted providing for vesting the legislative powers in a ‘student senate’ whose presiding officer, the ‘speaker’ would be elected through secret ballot.

The executive powers will be vested in a ‘cabinet’ headed by an elected ‘president’.
The judicial branch of the student government will have a ‘university court” with nine judges including an elected “chief justice” drawn from students and senior campus officials.

The court will deliberate on matters and controversies involving students and decide punitive action in accordance with the ‘constitution’.

Dr Kang hopes the experiment would bring a positive change in the student-administration relations due to the direct participation of students in policy making.

He admits that the concept of student government has been inspired from the Louisiana State University where Dr Kang served as a faculty for 30 years before his recent appointment as the Vice Chancellor of the PAU.