As the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections on September 18, 2025 approach, student groups are focusing on key issues, and their manifestos reflect these concerns. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), and the Student Federation of India - All-India Students' Association (SFI-AISA) alliance have all released their manifestos, outlining their promises to the student body.
Key Student Issues
Several core issues have emerged as central to the DUSU elections. These include:
- Affordability: Students are concerned about rising fees and the financial burden of higher education.
- Inclusivity: Creating a welcoming and accessible campus for all students, including those with disabilities, students from marginalized communities, and women, is a major priority.
- Infrastructure: Students are calling for improved infrastructure, including more hostels, better medical facilities, updated classrooms, and reliable internet access.
- Women's Safety: Ensuring the safety and empowerment of women on campus is a consistent demand.
- National Education Policy (NEP): The implementation of the NEP and its impact on course structure and the quality of education is under debate.
Manifesto Promises
The student groups have addressed these issues in their manifestos with varied approaches:
- ABVP: The ABVP's manifesto includes promises of subsidized metro passes, free Wi-Fi, subsidized health insurance, and expanded hostel facilities. They also emphasize improved sports facilities, nutrition for student-athletes, and accessibility audits for students with disabilities. The ABVP highlights women-centric measures, reflecting a commitment to working year-round for students.
- NSUI: The NSUI is focusing on inclusive infrastructure and affordable education. Their manifesto includes promises to scrap fee hikes linked to the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA), grant menstrual leave, rollback the NEP 2020, and upgrade hostels and classrooms. They propose a monthly allowance for disabled students and support systems for North-Eastern and linguistic minority students. The NSUI also released a separate "Her Manifesto" focusing on women's empowerment, pledging zero tolerance for harassment, legal aid cells, increased female security personnel, sanitary napkin vending machines, and medical-counseling centers.
- SFI-AISA Alliance: The SFI-AISA alliance is campaigning on affordability, inclusivity, and democratic representation, presenting itself as an alternative to the "money, muscle, and gimmickry" of the ABVP and NSUI. They pledge to resist fee hikes and demand elected Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) and gender sensitization cells in every college. The alliance promises gender-neutral washrooms and menstrual leave for women students. They also aim to scrap "bogus" Skill Enhancement and Value-Added Courses (SEC, VAC) introduced under the NEP and restore core course credits.
Common Ground and Divergences
While the groups differ in their approaches, there are some common threads in their manifestos. Both the ABVP and the SFI-AISA alliance promise the construction of new hostels and improvement of campus infrastructure. They also emphasize strengthening women's safety on campus and making campuses more accessible.
However, the groups diverge sharply in their views on the NEP and the Four-Year Undergraduate Program (FYUP). The SFI-AISA alliance is strongly critical of these policies, pledging to scrap certain courses and restore core course credits. In contrast, the ABVP's stance on the NEP and FYUP is less explicit.
The DUSU elections will be held on September 18, and the results are scheduled to be announced the following day. The outcome of these elections will likely have a significant impact on the direction of student politics and the prioritization of student issues at Delhi University.
