The Student Senator may be a lesser-known post among the student body, but it has a number of vital functions. The Senator is the representative of the  General Body Members (GBM) on the Senate. The Senate consists of senior faculty members and one Senator from each campus and is presided over by the Vice-Chancellor. The body is responsible for all administrative policies, such as those relating to academics, discipline, and welfare. The Senators bring in the perspective of students by acting as the voice of the GBM in policy matters. The Senator often works separately from the SU owing to different areas of responsibility. They are, however, the point of contact between SU and the administration in matters relating to policy approval and action. The English Press Club sat down with Siddhant Jain, the Senator from the Pilani campus for 2019, in order to find out more about the post, its scope, and responsibilities.

Senators operate in their 3-2 and 4-1, so students must remain on campus for these semesters to be eligible for the post. Students are nominated for the post after an interview with the current Senator, a representative of the Election Committee, and the SU President and General Secretary.

Siddhant emphasized that owing to the nature of interaction with higher management and senior faculty, it is important for the Senator to be tactful, formal, and presentable with their ideas. He also stated that the Senator needs to be prepared to handle unexpected proposals—which are presented often—and offer informed opinions as required. A wide perspective is required to view policies from the point of view of all students. The Senator must also be thorough with the implementation of current policy matters before offering criticism or suggesting alternatives.

Siddhant’s journey to the post of Senator began with last year’s fee hike protests, when he saw the previous Senator sit down with the Director in the Auditorium. ‘Everyone has had that mess lunch where they’re sitting together and criticizing the Institute’s policies, but I thought that this was an opportunity where I could impact things rather than just talking about them,’ he says.

As Senator, he has implemented a number of small policies on campus. ‘Since administrative policies take time to implement, most changes that a Senator brings are in small things.’ He has carried forward an initiative by the previous Senator to formulate and implement guidelines across departments for off-campus theses. He also mentioned that his arguments prolonged the Senate’s implementation of a ‘fail’ grade. While the fail grade would mostly be similar to a Not Cleared (NC), the newly proposed grade would affect students’ CGPA (unlike an NC). On behalf of the SU, Siddhant also appealed to the Senate to reconsider their stance on disciplinary issues, which was pointed out to be repressive (sem-backs and NCs), rather than rehabilitative (mandatory attendance, community service, and physical education).

Siddhant was aware that his interactions with the student body were limited owing to the confidential nature of the Senate’s workings, but he insisted that feedback from the students regarding policies, decisions, and general workings of the campus is always welcome. Efforts are being made to increase awareness and accessibility of the Senator among the GBM. His appointment was the first time that students were formally made aware of the appointment of a new Senator through a root mail, and he has been trying to find a way to release snippets of the Senate’s meetings after approval by the proper authorities. He is also searching for ways to open communication channels between the GBM and the Senator and is open to suggestions on that front as well. He has been pushing for increased interaction between the administration and students as well, such as an interactive session between the Director and the incoming first-year batch.

Siddhant emphasised that the Senator is always willing to approach the administration on behalf of the students. He requested the GBM to question any and all campus policies and provide feedback to their representatives. On a concluding note, Siddhant stated that students must be aware of the Institute’s policies and meetings, as their point of view in campus matters is critical to its smooth functioning.