‘Limited cars, no animals’: DU lists norms for students’ union election

With the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) election expected in September, the university has tightened campaign norms, capping the number of vehicles per candidate at five and banning the use of animals, tractors and JCBs.

DU Proctor Manoj Kumar Singh issued the directions following a meeting with current DUSU office-bearers and representatives of student organisations on Thursday.

Mr. Singh said the stricter norms were based on directions and past observations of the Delhi High Court. “Writing names behind cars is extremely common. There have also been instances of campaigning with elephants, horses, tractors and JCBs,” he said.

High Court order

In 2024, the High Court took suo motu cognisance of large-scale defacement of public property and the use of luxury vehicles and heavy machinery during campaigning in DUSU election. The court had halted the counting of votes until defaced sites were cleaned, with the clean-up costing the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) nearly ₹1 crore.

The university reiterated that there should be no defacement of public property in and around the campus. “No billboards (printed or digital) or banners are to be pasted or suspended from poles,” Mr. Singh said.

A new restriction this year is that candidates have been barred from using name stickers on vehicles. Tinted or unregistered vehicles are also prohibited, and unauthorised vehicles may be challaned or towed.

Campaign rule

Printed material remains banned; only handmade posters are allowed on designated “Wall of Democracy” spaces, and flex displays on MCD boards are prohibited, with violations to be reported.

The academic session begins on July 28, with DUSU election due within six to eight weeks as per Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, and the schedule to be announced shortly. Candidates have been asked to seek prior approval for public meetings, with limits on campaigners and access to hostels. DU has barred the distribution of gifts and use of promotional materials, warning that violations could lead to disqualification, an official said.

Student organisations expressed mixed views. Anjali, secretary of the All India Students’ Association, DU unit, said, “They are curbing student expression in the name of defacement. Instead, nominations of those defacing property should be cancelled.” Sarthak Sharma, Delhi secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, termed the guidelines a “positive step”, but “they must be implemented impartially”.