The English Press Club interviewed Munish Jain, one of the four candidates standing for the post of President in the upcoming Students’ Union elections. Munish is a third-year student pursuing a dual major in Chemistry, and Electronics and Electrical Engineering. He was elected as the Mess Representative for SR Bhawan in his first year and served as the SSMS Secretary for 2022–2023.

When asked about his motivation for contesting in the presidential elections, Munish said that he wishes to transform the campus into a place where students can ‘focus on their passions’. He stated that the SU exists to advance the needs and interests of the students. 

He mentioned that his tenure as the SSMS Secretary has given him the prerequisite knowledge and experience that the post of President demands. He highlighted the initiatives he was involved in, including the opening of DCC (Da Cloud Cafe) and the Night Canteen during exams, as well as the financial auditing of the messes. He reiterated that he could utilise the experience he has gained to benefit the whole campus.

He remarked that he has made a lot of new friends during the past year, and that gathering the camp had not been a difficult task because of the trust and support of his batchmates and juniors.  

Discussing his manifesto, Munish stated that he has talked to a lot of students regarding the issues they are facing on campus. He proceeded to briefly explain some of his manifesto points, which include digitisation of the laundromat service and extension of the SU App to Akshay, Medical Centre, and the Institute Canteen. His sustainable campus initiative proposes the replacement of conventional petrol and diesel autos on campus with electric vehicles. He also aims to introduce three new dining options on the campus, which include a Baskin Robbins outlet and another place serving healthier food such as peanut butter sandwiches, protein bars, and shakes. He mentioned that he has talked to platforms like Newton School to provide certification for courses at subsidised rates.

He explained that fake merchandise and event signings conducted by some clubs, and a lack of transparency regarding floating of cancellation forms were major issues last year. Hence, he proposes the implementation of a reimbursement portal. A breakdown of all the expenses will be shown on the portal. Additionally, whenever signings take place, a notification will be sent on the portal after a week and a cancellation window will be provided.

When asked about what makes him stand out from the other candidates, he re-emphasised that his prior experience makes him more equipped to handle the post of President than the other candidates, and the other candidates were ‘not so credible and experienced’. 

As a final message to the GBM, Munish apologised for the comments made by him towards a particular community in the Information Seminar. He acknowledged that he had made a mistake — mentioning that the comment was made in the heat of the moment after being ‘poked’ a lot — but clarified that this does not excuse his comment. He reassured the GBM that this would never happen again and that if elected as the President, he would be ‘the President of all the students on the campus’.