Ashirwad Karande: The Blessed Initiator

Ashirwad Karande, a third-year Dual Degree student, will be one of the two candidates standing for the post of President in the upcoming 2022 Students’ Union (SU) Elections. Ashirwad has been working as a member of the SU Executive Committee since his second year. He said that he has been eager to solve the problems faced by students since his first year. He mentioned that he had also applied to the Acting Council, but he was unable to make it through the selection process. He stated that he has taken up numerous personal as well as SU initiatives to try and solve various problems faced by students. When asked about his motivation for contesting for the post, Ashirwad said that he had received positive feedback on the initiatives he had undertaken in his first year and this motivated him to try taking on the responsibility of the post and gain the authority to help the students in a better way.

Ashirwad said he prepared his manifesto after talking to numerous students, including batchmates, juniors, seniors, alumni as well as the Dean, Chief Warden, and the Student Welfare Division (SWD) about various issues faced on campus. He prioritised the issues by assessing their gravity and by considering the number of people facing the same issue. He stated that he consulted with his camp and inculcated these issues in his manifesto in this way. When asked about the Constitution review process being conducted by the EC, Ashirwad claimed that he believed the Constitution was outdated and personally filled the survey released by the EC in favour of reviewing the Constitution. On being questioned about what makes him stand out from the other Presidential candidates, Ashirwad said that he believes the amount of work he has put in throughout the past two years has been seen by many students and is one of his major strengths. He added that through his experience he realised that the administration was willing to help the students and want someone to address the concerns in a constructive manner. He believed that he had done this quite well in the past and could continue to do so in the future.

When asked about his takeaways from any previous offline elections he may have encountered, Ashirwad said that he had seen candidates facing major backlash for violating rules and candidates losing by just a few votes in SSMS elections. He added that this had helped him become more serious and that he had to try and ensure a majority of representation and get everyone to vote so there would be no doubt that the SU President was rightfully elected.

He concluded with a message for the GBM stating that they should vet each manifesto and analyse the previous initiatives undertaken along with the track record of all the candidates. He urged the GBM to attend the Audi Rag, during which the EC would also vet the manifesto of the candidates, which would help the GBM make an informed decision. On a final note, he requested every individual to cast their vote in the upcoming elections no matter who they may be politically inclined to or wish to vote for.

Yash Kiswani: The APPropriate President?

Yash Kiswani, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student, will be contesting for the post of President in the upcoming 2022 Students’ Union (SU) Elections. When asked about his motivation for the same, Yash said that as a member of the SU Executive Committee last year, he had worked with the previous President, General Secretary, and the GBM, and had learned about the issues faced by the GBM. He said, ‘With my experience in the past year, I am capable of being the President and taking the GBM’s voice forward.’

A radical change that he is aiming for is the institute-mandated retribution for substance abuse. Yash claims that there should be alternative penalties such as social work or hostel restrictions rather than the traditional semester-backs. Since these academic probations could significantly affect one’s professional prospects, other possible courses of action should be explored. When asked about what makes him stand out from the other candidates, Yash said that he does not think about his competitors and focuses only on himself. ‘I have worked, I have experience and I am capable of being President’, is his mantra. He also had an interesting take on the ‘gaming culture’ on campus. He plans on working towards getting free access and specific rooms allocated for gamers. This, he believes, would promote e-sports on campus. He also plans on introducing renewable energy on campus. He added that these are among the few initiatives he plans on introducing and there are many others in his manifesto. Although he realises that there is a lot to be done, he said that it does not affect him, as he is willing to work and give his best. 

He concluded by urging the GBM to cast a fair vote and carefully read each manifesto, adding that it was unethical to support someone only because they were a friend.