Imphal, November 16: With the announcement of the scheduled for holding the election of college student unions, All Manipur Students� Union (AMSU) and Democratic Students� Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) have geared up for ensuring free and fair conduct of the election and cutting down the expenses.

Announcing the schedule of the election of the students� union, Director of Education (U) said that the elections of student unions for the session 2005-06 of all Government and Aided colleges with the exception of LMS Law College, DM College of Teacher Education and Hindi Teachers Training College would be held December 7 and the last date of nomination would be December 2.Meanwhile a joint statement issued by AMSU and DESAM informed that after intense debate on pros and cons of student bodies� election with special emphasis on curbing expenses the one day workshop on related topic adopted various resolutions aimed at ensuring free and fair conduct of such elections, said a joint release of AMSU and DESAM.

With several speakers expressing grave concern at the growing culture of money and muscle power during student union elections from school to university levels the congregation decided on urging Department of Education (U) authorities to form an election commission and strengthening the panel by including student organisation representatives as well as members of the intellectual circle and parents/guardians.

Launching mass awareness campaign for detailed dissemination of the guidelines laid down by the proposed commission and cooperation from the students� organisation were also stressed at the workshop.

Constitutions of similar panels at the college level, checking malpractices related to students� union elections by Amsu and Desam in collaboration with other students� bodies and submission of detailed information on deliberations held during the workshop to the election commission were the other resolutions adopted at the session held on November 13 under the joint aegis of Desam and Amsu.

Schools inspection: large scale discrepancies, including prolong absence from duties, unchecked leave, late arrival and non-execution of students welfare projects could be detected during phase wise inspection of schools conducted by DESAM volunteers from November 4 till 14, alleged a statement of the students� body.

The schools covered in the inspection campaign are listed as Govt Nilapadma Higher Secondary School (Sekmai), Awang Potshangbam high School, Govt Hindi Secondary School (Kanglatongbi) and Mapao UJB School.

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