Two-day university union polls at University of Calicut this year

The student union elections for the academic year 2026-27 in more than 400 colleges affiliated to Keralam University, Calicut (CU), along with its main campus teaching departments and self-financing study centers, will be held on October 14 and 15.

Earlier, elections and counting of votes used to be done in one day. This time, however, the election of class representatives in the colleges that opted for the parliamentary system will be held on October 14 and the votes will be counted on the same day. Elections in the colleges that have chosen the presidential regime and the election of union officials for those who have chosen the parliamentary regime will be held on 15 October. The census will take place on the same day.

According to the circular of the Dean of Student Care, the notification related to the elections will be issued on September 29.

This comes against the backdrop of the university’s plan to overhaul the college election rules in line with the recommendations of the JM Lyngdoh Committee. The last revision of electoral standards took place approximately 25 years ago. A section of officials claimed that incidents of violence have recurred during university union elections, which they say are held in violation of university laws, and legal disputes have become the norm. The department’s student union election on the university campus had to be called off last year after violence, they say.

Official sources told The Hindu on Saturday (September 12) that a five-member committee appointed by Vice-Chancellor P. Raveendran to draft recommendations has submitted its report to the authorities. It is likely to be taken up for discussion at the Syndicate meeting scheduled for September 19. Sources said the committee’s proposals could be included in the course of the election process this year.

N. Mohammedali, Director, College Development Council of the University, is the Chairman of the Committee and K. Fazalurahman, Dean, Students’ Welfare, is the Convener. AM Vinod Kumar, Preethi Kuttippulackal and Pramod Kovvapurath are the other members.

However, student organizations had a mixed reaction to the reform of the electoral rules. While the pro-leftist Students’ Federation of India opposed the move, the Congress-affiliated Kerala Students’ Union and the Indian Union Muslim League-affiliated Muslim Students’ Federation supported it.

Published – 12 Sep 2026 18:57 IST