The English Press Club sat down with Aryan Khorana, the outgoing General Secretary of the Students’ Union, to discuss his tenure, challenges faced, and the legacy he hoped to leave behind.

Aryan remarked that being elected as the General Secretary was a dream come true for him and his camp. He was thankful for the opportunity to serve the student body and learn from the process. He mentioned that his entire election campaign was based on a two-pronged approach–accountability and transparency, and felt that he had ensured the same throughout his tenure. 

When asked about the fulfilment of his manifesto, Aryan believed that he had fulfilled about 70% of it, with a few initiatives still in the pipeline. According to him, the most important point of his manifesto — the improvement of campus healthcare facilities — saw significant progress. The arrival of an ambulance on campus and the construction of an X-ray room were some improvements that he mentioned in this regard. He further asked the GBM to review his tenure as well.

The biggest setback of Aryan’s tenure, according to him, was the inventory fiasco that took place during Oasis 2024. He explained that he was supposed to manage the inventory within a couple of months of the election, something that had been untouched for the past five to six years. Doing so required a proper analysis of the resources, manpower at hand, and a proper knowledge transfer, he elaborated. He said that he found this overwhelming, despite some help from Abhinav Lamba, his predecessor. He mentioned that they tried to cover it up during APOGEE, when a robust system of checks and balances was put in place.

Another major setback of Aryan’s tenure came during the India-Pakistan border conflict, when the Union had to reason with the administration for the postponement of the comprehensive examinations due to rising tensions. He remarked that they had to put forth their points rather aggressively due to significant pushback from the administration.

Aryan expressed his regret at not being on campus due to PS-II and, hence, being unable to help the Union during the attendance-related protests. He said that it had been one of the most crushing moments of his tenure. Apart from the setbacks, Aryan asserted that there had been frequent disagreements within the Union, be it between the President and the General Secretary, or among the Union Council members. However, he opined that this was a necessary element for constructive decision-making. 

When asked about the voting rights for first-year students, Aryan categorically stated that he, along with the President and the Union Council, was firmly in favour. He believed that since the policies and decisions of the Union Council affected all students, including the first-years, equally, everyone should have the right to vote and elect their representatives. He expressed his dissent with the Election Commission’s stance that first-year students could be manipulated, citing the example of higher degree students who were also new on campus and still had voting rights. He believed that a proper solution could be formulated by the EC instead of taking away the voting rights of an entire batch.

When asked about achievements from his tenure that he was proud of, Aryan mentioned that the management of inventory during fests, which is the basic duty of the StuCCAn/CoStAAn of Inventory, was revamped with the help of a portal, which will help manage the resources efficiently. He also talked about a certification program, wherein the students who have held positions of responsibility in various clubs and departments would be certified. Additionally, he mentioned that the abandoned cycles around campus had been rounded up during the last semester. Talking about the semester budget, Aryan said that this semester, the technical clubs and teams will be given additional monetary support.

On the upcoming Students’ Union Elections and the students contesting them, Aryan replied that every candidate had potential and had worked diligently for the Union in the past year. He remarked that one could never be prepared for the office, as it was the office itself that prepared the officebearer during their tenure. He wished that his successor would be loyal to the GBM and quick to address their issues, rather than seeking personal gain. He advised the GBM to vote intelligently, asking them to choose the best-suited candidate rather than their best friend.

Signing off, Aryan expressed his gratitude towards the President, his coworkers, his camp, and especially the GBM.