From navigating intense student politics to implementing new campus initiatives, the outgoing BITS Students’ Union President, Sajal Yadav’s tenure had been nothing short of eventful. As he prepared to pass his office to his successor, the English Press Club sat down with him to learn more about the happenings of his tenure.

Sajal described his experience as the Students’ Union (SU) President as an ‘enriching roller coaster’. He recalled that he assumed the office following a competitive election which created several political factions. These factions were later a challenge for him to unite under a single umbrella of the SU. Moreover, he stated that the SU was in a very weak financial position at the time because it had incurred huge debts and APOGEE was on the point of collapsing. 

While talking about his initiatives to enhance campus culture, Sajal pointed out a number of major accomplishments achieved by the members of the Executive Committee (ExComm). He mentioned that they secured funding of about 20 lakh rupees per semester to nurture the clubs and the technical ecosystem of BITS. He also talked about the creation of the Guardian Angel Fund, which was established to give financial aid to students who were hit by sudden family emergencies. Sajal noted that the SU initiated the process of establishing an outlet of Moti Mahal to serve proper Indian cuisine at the old TOTT location, as well as building pavements needed close to the Gandhi, Vishwakarma, and Krishna Bhawan boundaries.

Sajal was extremely proud of the fact that both Oasis’25 and APOGEE’26 were highly profitable. He pointed out that APOGEE had been run without making any deductions from the GBM, a move which enjoyed strong support from a large student survey, and that the scale achieved was comparable to that of Oasis. He spoke about the difficulties he faced when the General Secretary was out of office; this led to him taking up an additional position of responsibility during Oasis. Moreover, his team had set up a strict ledger for the repayment of debt with the aim of making the SU completely debt-free by the year 2030.

Sajal expressed great appreciation for the Student Welfare Division (SWD), the Director, and the Dean of Administration, noting that they were all very proactive and student-friendly. With regard to the various student groups, he said that he had an excellent cooperative relationship with the Corroboration and Review Committee (CRC) and the members of the CoStAA.

Sajal conveyed his dissatisfaction with the Election Commission (EC), and said that they acted in an ‘illogical and disruptive’ manner. He pointed out that their restrictions greatly reduced the original plans for the Freshers’ Fest.

While talking about the completion of his manifesto, Sajal stated that they succeeded in negotiating the withdrawal of the clause relating to NC in the case of low attendance with the AUGSD and that the CGPA for Practice School station allocation would be normalised across all three campuses from the next semester. He also mentioned that discussions regarding fee subsidies for PS in the case of self-arranged internships were still ongoing and a new multi-storey Students’ Activity Centre might be constructed in place of the All Night Canteen (ANC) building.

In his concluding notes, Sajal asked the newly elected office-holders to put aside their rivalries, and advised them to regard the whole electorate as their constituents and to maintain the dignity of the SU. He acknowledged the support of his wingies and his juniors who helped him campaign and fulfil the points of his manifesto. He expressed gratitude to the GBM for choosing him and for supporting him throughout a transformative year, and said that he was looking forward to a happy retirement.