Except for reservation for women, the union elections will not have any other quota, including caste-based reservation. The students will have the final say on holding the elections even if managements are opposed to it, said Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, after a Cabinet meeting that cleared it.
“The student union elections had been banned for some reason, and it will be revived from the 2026-2027 academic year. We do not want to promote caste-based reservation among students,” he announced.
According to him, student unions will have an elected president, two vice-presidents, including one woman, one general secretary and two joint secretaries, including one for women, besides a six-member executive committee that will include two women.
The government had earlier announced that contestants cannot be affiliated to student wings of political parties and anyone trying to contest in the name of political parties will be disqualified. It was also announced that the first phase of student elections will be conducted in PU and degree colleges. The second phase will be held across universities in the State.
During the 2026 State Budget, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced that elections would be conducted to form student unions in universities and colleges, lifting the 37-year ban on them since 1989.