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JNUSU Constitution PDF
JNUSU Constitution PDF
JNUSU Constitution PDF
OF
JAWAHARLAL
NEHRU UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS’ UNION
CONSTITUTION OF
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION
PREAMBLE
We, the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University hereby organise ourselves into a students’
union named as “Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union”, henceforth known as the
Union, adopt and give to ourselves the following constitution.
PART- I
DEFINITIONS
Article 1.
(i) Member :- All students of this University shall be the members of the Students’ Union.
However, no member of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Karamchari Sangathan or the
Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association can be a member of the Students’
Union.
(ii) Students :-
a) Full-time :- Any person who is on the rolls of the University for a full-time course
will be deemed full-time student.
b) Part-time :- Any person who is on the rolls of the University for a part-time course,
will be deemed a part-time student.
(iii) The Students’ Council :- The students’ council consists of the office bearers; President,
Vice-President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary and students Councillors of schools
and the part-time students of the University elected as per the procedure defined in Part
IV of the constitution.
(iv) The School :- A school will be deemed a school when it comes to have a strength of 20
full-time students. However, in the event of their existence, all such schools with a
strength of less than 60, for the purpose of representation, shall be amalgamated together
or with the school having the least number of students. The representation will be
governed by the election procedures outlined in Article 13 clause (ii).
(v) The Part-time Constituency :- All part-time students shall constitute a part-time
constituency. However, no full-time student enrolled for a part-time course will be a
member of this constituency. The representation will be governed by the election
procedures outlined in Article 13 clause (iii).
(vi) School level activities :- Any activity that does not involve any obligation of the other
school, and does not involve the university authorities beyond school level.
(vii) University level activities :- All activities of the student body excluding those
governed by Article 1 clause (vi).
(viii) Extraordinary Matters :
The following matter shall be deemed as “Extraordinary Matters”, decisions on which
have to be taken according to the procedure as outlined in Article 4 (ii) and 11 (ii)-(a)
Any decision involving direct action by all students of this University. (b) Amendments
to the constitution.
PART-II
THE STUDENTS COUNCIL
Article 3.
(i) Sessions of the Students Council :- The students Council will be in session at least once
a month. However, the General Secretary in consultation with the President can call a
special session when they feel it necessary with 12 hours notice. Also a similar meeting
will have to be called on demand by one third of the total number of student councillors.
The demand should be presented either to the President or to the General Secretary, who
will call such a meeting within 48 hours of receipt of such a demand.
(ii) Half of the total number of the members of the council will constitute the Quorum for the
meetings, with a minimum of 2 student councillors from the schools which may have 4 or
5 councillors and minimum 1 from the schools which may have 2 or 3 councillors. In
schools from where only 1 councillor is sent, his/ her presence is not essential for quorum
except when discussing matters concerning that school.
(iii) The President shall chair the meetings of the Council. In the absence of the President, the
Vice-President shall chair the meeting. In the absence of both President and Vice-
President, the council will elect a chairman from among themselves. The chairman shall
have only a casting vote.
Article 4.
Decisions in the Council :-
(i) In ordinary matters the decision will be taken by a simple majority present and voting.
(ii) In extraordinary matters defined in the constitution, the decision will be taken by a two-
thirds majority of total members of the council.
Article 5. President
(i) There will be a President directly elected by students of the University in the manner
outlined in Part IV of the constitution.
(ii) The term of office of President shall be 1 year subject to provisions of extension of tenure
as specified in Part IV.
(iii) The President shall be the chief executive of the Union. He/ she shall chair the meetings
of the students council and participate in its deliberations and have only a casting vote.
The President shall execute the mandate given by the students council and look after the
day to day work of the union.
Article 7. Vice-President
(i) There will be a Vice-President directly elected by students of the University in the
manner outlined in Part IV of the constitution.
(ii) The term of the Vice-President will be 1 year. This term can be extended in accordance
with the provisions outlined in Part IV.
(iii) The Vice-President will aid and advice the President in his/ her day to day work. He/ she
will officiate as the President in the absence of the President.
PART-III
GENERAL BODIES AND FINANCE
PART IV
PROCEDURES AND TENURE
Part 1
(i) The elections for the new office bearers of the Union should be held not later than three
months from the date of opening of the University after the summer vacations.
(ii) Provided in the case of a mid-term poll for office bearer, it shall be held within one month
of the post falling vacant.
Part 2
(i) After the General Bodies elect the members of the Election Committee, the President of
the Students Union will convene a meeting of the Election Committee.
(ii) At this meeting, the Election Committee members will elect a chairman from amongst
themselves, if necessary by an absolute majority.
(iii) The Chairman shall convene the meetings of the Election Committee and co-ordinate its
work.
(iv) The Election Committee should hold the elections within 4 weeks of its first formal
meeting as a Committee. For purposes of counting the 4 week period, extraordinary
holidays shall not be taken into consideration.
(v) The Quorum for the Election Committee meetings will be half of its total members and
all decisions will be by simple majority.
(vi) In all schools, the supervisory team must include members from other schools.
(vii) In the event of any vacancy or in the eventuality of any need for extra assistance, the
Chairman may co-opt any full-time student who shall not have any vote in the
Committee.
(viii) The Election Committee shall have total powers as far as the conduct of the elections
are concerned. This shall include the disqualifying of candidates from contesting and of
the voters from voting, provided that they take such a decision by a 2/3 majority present
and voting and give reasons for the same.
(ix) All decisions of the Election Committee are final and binding on the students.
Part 3
The Election Committee will work within the purview of following the rules and procedure:
(i) All voting will be by secret ballot.
(ii) Ballot papers: Names of the candidates will be in English in alphabetical order, the first
name of the candidate (not surname) appearing first.
(iii) Voters will mark the ballot paper against the name of the candidates with the rubber
stamp provided by the Election Committee.
(iv) Nomination:
(a) Nominations shall be accepted in the prescribed proforma. They have to be duly
proposed and seconded by students belonging to the concerned electorate.
(b) Nominations shall be invalidated when the name of the proposer, seconder or the
candidate does not figure in the appropriate electoral list or when the proposer or the
seconder proposes or seconds more than the number of candidates that he is entitled
to vote for.
(c) A student is eligible to stand only for one post. In the event of a candidate filing in
nominations for more than one post after the date of withdrawal his nominations to all
posts shall be invalidated.
(v) Counting:
(a) Counting shall begin on the same date as the polling has ended.
(b) All ballot papers while being counted, must be displayed to the candidates or a person
authorised by the candidate.
(c) A Ballot shall be invalidated when it has been marked by a mark other than the stamp
provided by the Committee, when the number of votes cast is more than the number
of posts for which the elections are held and when the choice expressed in vague.
(d) Objection to any vote must be made on the spot at the time of counting by the
authorised counting agent of the candidate concerned.
(e) Recount: Demand for recount by the authorised counting agent of the candidate
concerned should be made immediately after the first counting in writing. If the
demand is accepted by the Election Committee, the recount will be conducted
immediately and a maximum of two recounts will be held.
(f) The Election Committee shall stand dissolved on the expiry of 48 hours from the
declaration of results.
(g) Members of the Election Committee are barred from contesting any post in the Union
and are forbidden from canvassing in any form for any candidate.
Part 4
(i) No candidate or voter shall indulge in any official canvassing or pamphleteering during
the 24 hours prior to the commencement of polling.
(ii) Candidates and voters are expected to abide by the norms of decent canvassing. Personal
slanders and defacing, tearing and pulling down of posters may result in disciplinary
action by the Committee which can include the disqualification of the candidate and the
disenfranchisement of the voters, provided that they take such a decision by 2/3 majority
present and voting and give reasons for the same.
APPENDIX NO. 2
PROCEDURE FOR THE CONDUCT OF
GENERAL BODY MEETING
1. The President will chair the University General Body Meeting. In the Absence of the
President, the Vice-President and in the absence of both, a Chairman elected by the
Councillors from among themselves shall chair the meeting. At the School General Body
Meeting the convenor shall chair the meeting.
2. (i) The General Secretary shall take the quorum and write the minutes and in his absence,
the Joint Secretary will perform this task.
(ii) The Councillors shall assist the General Secretary in taking the quorum.
(iii) In the absence of the General Secretary and the Joint Secretary, the Councillors shall
elect from among themselves one Councillor to discharge these duties. At the School
level one among the Councillors shall perform these duties.
3. The Chairman shall open the meeting and announce the items of the agenda, which must
be made public at the time of notification of the GBM.
4. (i) All requests for addition of items to the agenda shall be given to the Chair in writing
and supported by 1/10 of the members of the general body present at the opening of the
meeting. (ii) Such additions to the agenda shall be put to discussion after all the items
initially on the agenda have been resolved through common consensus or voting. Any
change in the priority of the agenda can be moved by half the quorum of the meeting and
passed by a simple majority immediately after the opening of the meeting. All such
motions may be moved only once and discussed and voted upon simultaneously.
(iv) In case all items on the agenda have not been resolved, the adjourned meeting shall
be reconvened within 48 hours of the adjournment of the meeting excluding holidays.
5. (i) All points of order shall be raised with Chair in writing. The Chair shall read out all
points of order and give his ruling assigning reasons for the same. The ruling of the
chair shall be final and binding. Once a point of order is ruled upon, it cannot be raised
again.
(ii) It shall be left to the discretion of the Chair whether to immediately stop the
discussion and read out the point of order and give his ruling or whether to do so after
the speaker who is speaking at the moment has finished.
6. Once the meeting has been called to order by the Chair, he shall decide and announce a
fixed time limit within which all persons who wish to speak may submit their names in
writing. At the expiry of the specified time limit, the final list of speakers will be
announced and strictly adhered to.
7. On the basis of the number of speakers, the Chair will specify time limit for speeches
which shall be binding. The General Secretary shall keep the time.
8. No person other than councillors may come up to the dais unless called by the Chair.
9. Voting shall be either by voice vote, show of hands, count of heads or secret ballot. The
Council shall decide before hand on the particular mode to adopt. As regards voting, the
Chairman after taking the vote with the help of the General Secretary and the Councillors
will declare the result of the voting.
10. All objections and interjections may only be raised in writing with the Chair and the
Chair shall use its discretionary powers whether to read out and further whether to
disallow it or to put it to discussion assigning reasons for the same.
11. All points of order, names of speakers etc, shall be collected by the councillors and
handed over to the Chair.
12. The Students Council shall, using its discretionary powers, decide upon the duration of the
meeting and leave it to the Chair to announce the time of voting.
13. Under normal circumstances, the meeting may be adjourned by the Chair only for a short
duration. The Chair can exercise its right to adjourn the meeting sine die under
exceptional circumstances. Fresh quorum shall be taken for all adjourned meeting.
APPENDIX NO. 3
RULES AND PROCEDURE FOR THE SELECTION TO GENDER SENSITISATION
COMMITTEE AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT (GSCASH)
1. The JNUSU representative to the GSCASH shall be elected from within the council for
one term.
2. Elections for the two student representatives to the GSCASH shall be conducted by the
Election Committee as specified in Article 18.
3. At least one of the two student representatives shall be a woman.
4. The member specially elected to the GSCASH will have no voting rights in the Council.
Their participation in the Students Council will be restricted to discussions regarding
gender issues.
5. The tenure of the student representatives will be one year.
6. In the event of the impossibility of holding elections within the specified period for
reasons beyond the control of the Election Committee, the existing representatives will
continue in their positions until elections can be held in accordance with the procedure
specified. However, the time limit for the continuance of the existing members will be
fixed by University General Body.
7. In the event of either one or both the posts falling vacant before the expiry of the tenure,
the Students Council shall elect representatives for an interim period till elections are held
for these posts.
8. A motion of impeachment of no-confidence against any of the student representatives can
be brought in accordance with Article 15.
9. Any resignations by the representatives will be according to the procedure in Article 16.