Student election disputes keep Goa University busy

PANAJI: A student from Government College, Quepem, on Monday, had complained to the police that he was kidnapped by two fellow students to keep him from voting in the institution's student elections. The Goa University's (GU) grievance redressal cell for the student election received a complaint in the case and found the college authorities had not taken action in the matter, as required by the procedure laid down.
The GU redressal cell found that the college principal had forwarded the student's complaint to the cell without first taking action in the case as was requested by the affected student in his complaint.
"The college principal has to inform Goa University about the action taken by him in the case. The copy of the first information report (FIR) has also not been enclosed, as required. Also, as there was no request from the aggrieved party to declare the election null and void, the university has accepted the college's poll results," a GU official said.
The Quepem police arrested one more student, Floyd Fernades of SYBA, on Tuesday while the two students arrested on Monday were released on bail.
GU authorities also nullified the results of the student election at St Xavier's College, Mapusa, where six students were found to have filed their candidature past the set deadline. Three of these students had been declared to have won the elections. After the results were voided, candidates who polled the next highest votes were declared to have won the election.
"The result was nullified due to procedural lapses in filing candidature," a GU source said.
Elections to the executive committee of the GU's student council will be held on August 26.
The process began from July-end when each of GU's affiliated colleges conducted elections to choose their university class representatives (UCR).
This UCR election was held in colleges on July 29. Students elected to these posts recently elected a university faculty representative (UFR) for each subject offered at the university.
The disputes presently taking place are in case of the UFR elections.
These UFRs will shortly file their nominations for the different posts of the executive committee of the GU's students council.