Rahul Bubna
The English Press Club met Rahul Bubna, the President-elect, to discuss his victory in the Students’ Union elections. Bubna is presently serving as the Hostel Representative of Ram Bhawan*. It had been his ambition to run for President ever since his first year. He said that he had always tried to help people early on, in the form of exam question papers or other useful information regarding academics. He believes that his willingness to help is the reason he gained popularity towards the end of his first year.
When asked about his opinion on which semester the Students’ Union elections should be conducted in, Bubna replied that odd-semester elections would be preferable. In justification, Bubna explained that under the even-semester election system, campaigns have to start working for the elections from the beginning of the semester. Therefore, their performance in the mid-semester exams gets affected. Work for APOGEE also inhibits the time one can devote for elections. In contrast, under odd-semester elections, he felt that having additional time during the summer contributes positively to one’s preparations. As the candidates for the elections are usually Mess or Hostel Representatives, their work as a representative is also highly affected due to elections happening during their terms.
When speaking about his vision for the campus, Bubna stated that the Institute placed 39th in the NIRF ranking of universities this year. He wishes to improve future rankings through joint efforts of the Union Council and the administration. He plans on introducing the idea of projects to first and second year students. Unlike in some prestigious government institutes that offer projects to first year students, BITSians start taking up projects only at the end of their second year or at the beginning of their third. He would like to see this trend changing for the better.
One of his primary manifesto points was the introduction of digital notice boards. He believes that digital boards would greatly reduce the workload of first year students, who are often asked to put up posters on hostel notice boards. Moreover, having LED display boards will save paper, and will contribute towards a more eco-friendly campus. Bubna believes that the Students’ Union exists to support the students and act in their interest. If a student has a problem, they are encouraged to convey the same to the Union. He is of the opinion that the practice of communicating the issue to the Union’s members is extremely important, and encourages students to come forward and discuss their issues with their elected representatives.
Bubna stated that the drop in NIRF rankings may dissuade potential freshers from joining BITS. He encouraged BITSians to speak to potential freshers about the institute’s unique qualities, including, but not limited to, the Dual Degree scheme and Practice School. He requests the students to spread information about the positive aspects of life at BITS. Bubna concluded the interview by stating that he wants quality freshers coming to BITS, which he believes will consequently make the college better.
*An earlier version of this article stated that Rahul Bubna was SR H-Rep in his first year. We have corrected this error, and the article has been updated.
Abhishek Balaji
The newly-elected General Secretary of the Students’ Union (SU), Varahamoorthy Abishek Balaji, spoke to the English Press Club about his plans for the upcoming year. Balaji is currently serving as the Ram-Budh Mess Representative. He holds the utmost respect for the previous SU and the work Satyansh and Akash have put in, especially compared to previous post-holders–something he feels that the current batch is unable to appreciate without having experienced it themselves. ‘They’ve been teaching me and the President-elect every mistake they’ve made and how they could’ve tackled it better, and in fact, in the ARC, the inventory thing was brought up,’ talking about when the current General Secretary explained how giving a unilateral contract was a grave error, ‘Akash himself openly admitted that he made this blunder in choosing this tender.’
When asked about public perception regarding his fitness for the post, given that he had contested unopposed, he simply replied that contesting unopposed need not mean that there was a lack of competition. It could also mean that the potential opponents decided to back down instead of competing against a strong candidate. Elaborating, Balaji said, ‘Students should start looking at the credibility, like how the candidate has performed, and how much work he has done during his previous tenure. He went on to conclude that nothing can prove that a candidate is actually ready until he shows his work during his tenure.’
Balaji also used the opportunity to apologise for the remarks he made about the SSMS during the Auditorium Debate. He explained that he had never intended to come off as aggressive, a lapse that he attributed to the high-pressure situation. He was critical of the Election Commission’s insistence on showing proof, saying ‘We approached the administration regarding the same (i.e. The proofs regarding microwave ovens in Bhawans), they said it’s feasible, and in fact, for the microwaves, I submitted a letter to the EC saying the Chief Warden has signed saying it is feasible and can be done. It’s just that for every initiative, you don’t expect the Chief Warden to keep signing, because he has so much work.’
He stated that he would be willing to go beyond his manifesto points, or even alter them, if they are expected to achieve similar or better results, but would not compromise on the overall aim–the betterment of the student community. He briefly praised the way in which the current administration had solved the WiFi problem by having a unified campus-wide SSID, adding that if this programme has not been completed by the start of his tenure, he will prioritize it, but will not take credit for an initiative that his predecessors had began.
His further aim is to forge bridges with universities abroad, in order to make higher-degree research easier for the 3rd and 4th year students, along the lines of the tie-ups that certain IITs have. ‘I am the SU GenSec for all the students on campus. It should not just be that a lot of my initiatives are benefitting the first and second year students, the third and fourth years are equally important,’ he concluded.