Banaras Hindu University (BHU) students have called a march on October 28, 2026, demanding the restoration of an elected students’ union after nearly three decades without one. The march, titled ‘March for Democracy’, has been organised jointly by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), All India Students’ Association (AISA), Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and DISHA.
The march is scheduled to begin at Vishwanath Temple (VT) on the university campus and proceed towards the Students’ Union Building, under the Dean of Students’ Welfare (DSW). Students are seeking a formal platform to represent their concerns before the university administration and want a time-bound schedule for conducting union elections.
BHU Students Demand Elected Union and Fixed Election Schedule
The demand for restoring the BHU students’ union follows repeated efforts by student organisations to bring back elected representation on campus. According to students, a student council was introduced in 2011–12 but discontinued after a year. Another council was announced in 2014, but it was not elected. Student organisations say the absence of an elected union has made it difficult for students to raise common concerns and seek timely responses from the administration.
In a memorandum submitted to the Dean of Students on October 22, the students demanded the restoration of union elections and a clear timeline for holding them. They also called for elections to be conducted in accordance with the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations.Until an elected union is established, students have proposed setting up a committee involving student representatives and the administration to address immediate campus issues.
Campus Facilities and Women’s Safety Among Key Concerns
The memorandum submitted by the students highlighted several issues related to campus facilities and student welfare. These include internet and Wi-Fi access, the quality of library facilities and library timings.Women’s safety was another major concern raised by the student organisations. They alleged that security arrangements in women’s hostels were inadequate and called for attention to student safety.
Students also pointed to gaps in communication with university authorities, saying the lack of an effective common platform makes it harder to resolve grievances.The proposed student-administration committee is intended to provide an interim mechanism for discussing these concerns while the demand for elected representation remains pending.
Student Protests at AMU and Jamia Encourage BHU Campaign
The renewed campaign at BHU comes amid similar demands for student representation at other universities.At Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), the administration announced student union elections for November 5 after a 20-day protest over delays in holding polls.
The development has encouraged students at BHU to intensify their demand for an elected body.At Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), students have been pressing for the restoration of the students’ union, which was dissolved in 2006. The university has agreed to hold elections within 15 days of approving the union’s constitution, but students continue to seek a fixed election schedule and the resolution of other demands.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) also witnessed a prolonged student protest. The students’ union called off its 17-day agitation on October 20 after the administration agreed to revoke the rustication of five union office-bearers.In Karnataka, the state government issued an order in September to revive student union elections after a gap of around 37 years.These developments have added momentum to the demand for elected student representation at BHU.
BHU Students Say Earlier Efforts Failed to Restore Union
Roshan Pandey, an AISA member and PhD scholar in sociology at BHU, said the university had remained without a functioning elected students’ union for nearly 30 years. He noted that earlier attempts to establish student councils had not resulted in sustained elected representation.Pandey said the participating student organisations would decide their next steps based on the response to the march. He also stated that a memorandum had been submitted to the university administration about a week before the planned march, but the students had not received a response.
Vivek Rajput, an MA History student and NSUI member, said developments at other universities had encouraged BHU students to renew their demand. He added that previous attempts had not succeeded, but the student organisations intended to continue their efforts.The immediate demand remains the restoration of student union elections, a defined schedule for conducting them and a mechanism through which students can raise campus-related concerns with the administration.
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