The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a petition seeking the implementation of the 2006 Lyngdoh Committee Report on regulating student union elections across colleges and universities in India, calling the plea a publicity-driven litigation.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi dismissed the petition filed by Shiv Kumar Tripathi, stating that it lacked merit. During a brief hearing, the Chief Justice remarked, “You just want to go out and address others (media). Only for publicity,” before rejecting the plea.
Tripathi’s counsel had argued that the petition was aimed at enforcing the committee’s recommendations to ensure fair and transparent student body elections, free from the influence of money and muscle power.
The Lyngdoh Committee was constituted in 2005 under the directive of the Supreme Court to reform student politics. Its report, submitted in 2006, was accepted by the apex court and made mandatory for all universities and colleges across the country. The panel proposed sweeping reforms aimed at curbing criminalisation and excessive expenditure in student union elections, while also seeking to protect the academic environment.
Key recommendations of the committee included:
- Age cap of 17–22 years for undergraduate candidates
- Age limit of 24–25 years for postgraduate candidates
- A ban on the use of printed posters and campaign material
- Limits on election expenditure
- Minimum attendance requirements for candidates
The report has been the subject of recurring legal and political debate, with student organisations in various states either demanding strict enforcement or questioning its practicality.
While the Supreme Court had previously directed its implementation, the present petition sought renewed enforcement, claiming ongoing violations of the guidelines. However, the bench declined to entertain it, concluding that the petitioner’s intent was not bona fide.
The dismissal brings an end — at least for now — to fresh judicial scrutiny of the Lyngdoh framework, even as student politics in many institutions continue to operate under varying degrees of compliance with the original recommendations.
