The University Grants Commission (UGC) was on Wednesday granted two weeks by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to respond to a plea on indiscriminate use of paper during Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections and defacement of public property by unmindful pasting and use of pamphlets and campaign material.
The Tribunal had in September restrained DUSU from pasting pamphlets and other material on the varsity campus walls and also sought a response on the subject from the UGC, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Delhi University and DUSU.
While the UGC was granted more time on Wednesday, the other parties were proceeded against ex-parte.
The NGT was hearing a petition filed by Nitin Chandran, a student of Delhi University’s Faculty of Law.
Mr. Chandran’s counsel Piyush Singh said the UGC sought time to reply while the other parties did not appear. He added that there is unmindful use of paper during campaigning and defacement of public property, where pamphlets are pasted on flyovers as far as South Delhi, Faridabad, etc., even as campaigning can be done through social media.
Mr. Chandran had contended in his plea that he was shocked to see posters, pamphlets, flyers and cards being used for canvassing and campaigning in DUSU elections by various candidates.
“Every year during DUSU election and other students’ body elections, the quantity of paper wasted in canvassing and campaigning is huge and the damage therein to the environment irreparable...On every election, tonnes of paper is wasted for canvassing by the candidates and their supporters. Wherein, there is no accountability for usage of paper and neither there is any norm or procedure for re-cycling of this waste paper,” the plea states.
The petitioner also relied on the 2006 Supreme Court order directing varsities to implement the recommendations of the J.M. Lyngdoh Committee in their students’ union elections.
The committee had recommended prohibition on use of printed paper and posters for canvassing and suggested use of hand-made posters in elections. However, it is to be noted that some contestants and parties now resort to getting hand-made posters prepared in huge numbers and the wastage continues.