Delhi High Court Dismisses Shabana Hussain’s Petition on Student Union Elections at Delhi University
The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Shabana Hussain, a student from the Department of Buddhist Studies at Delhi University. Hussain challenged the department’s failure to hold elections for student union positions, arguing that students had been deprived of their right to elect representatives for over a decade.
According to Hussain, the department had been appointing students to key posts like President and Central Councillors instead of conducting elections. She wished to contest for a Central Councillor position in the upcoming elections scheduled for September 27 but claimed she was denied the opportunity when the department and university authorities failed to provide her a nomination form.
The Delhi High Court’s bench, led by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, noted that the deadline for submitting nominations had already passed, making it too late to address the matter. The court observed that since the last date for filing nomination papers was September 19, 2024, it could not intervene at this stage. Consequently, the court decided not to entertain the petition any further, concluding that the plea was filed too late for any effective relief regarding the elections in the Department of Buddhist Studies.
Hussain, through her advocate Ashu Bidhuri, contended that this undermined her democratic rights. Despite reaching out to the university’s leadership and election officials, she received no response, prompting her to seek legal action. However, the High Court rejected her petition, thus maintaining the status quo.
After the dismissal, Hussain’s lawyer, Advocate Ashu Bidhuri, stated that they would be moving a division bench or filing an appeal against the dismissal order.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi High Court -: The Delhi High Court is a big court in Delhi, India, where important legal cases are decided.
Petition -: A petition is a formal request made to a court asking for a specific action or decision.
Student Union Elections -: These are elections where students vote to choose their leaders who will represent them in the student union.
Delhi University -: Delhi University is a famous university in Delhi, India, where many students go to study different subjects.
Department of Buddhist Studies -: This is a part of Delhi University where students learn about Buddhism, a religion and philosophy.
Nominations -: Nominations are when people are suggested or put forward to be candidates in an election.
Appeal -: To appeal means to ask a higher court to review and change the decision of a lower court.
