Patna University VC Shambhu Nath Singh said the university had not yet received any such communication from the state government. He would consider holding election to the union only after the receipt of the government letter. However, he held a meeting with the teachers on this issue on Tuesday.

The Patna University Act, 1976 and the Bihar State Varsities Act, 1976, as amended up to date, provide for holding elections to the university students union every year. But a statute relating to the conduct of the elections has not been assented to by the competent authority so far. A draft statute framed by Patna University and cleared by the Senate with some amendments is pending with the Chancellor’s Secretariat for the last several years.

According to reports a committee headed by the then Magadh University VC B N Pandey was constituted in 2008 by the then Chancellor R L Bhatia to draft statutes for the conduct of students’ union elections.

It submitted the draft statutes for the final assent of the Chancellor. But nobody knows what happened to this draft statute.

It needs to be recalled that in February , 2010, the Patna high court directed the state government to frame statutes for students’ union elections in universities and colleges by March 29. The counsel of Chancellor had submitted that the Chancellor has circulated the draft statutes for holding students' union polls to all the universities seeking their suggestions, opinions and objections.

More than a year back, the Chancellor had approved a transitory provision for constituting students' union in all the universities on an ad-hoc basis on the basis of nomination. But no university could be able to form such union in view of stiff opposition from various student organisations owing allegiance to different political parties.

Meanwhile, activists of the All India Students’ Federation held demonstration on the campus of the Patna University to press for the early campus election.

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