In a significant development, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed that all student union rooms in colleges and universities across West Bengal be kept locked until further notice.
The State’s Higher Education Department has been instructed to issue an official notification enforcing this order.
The directive was issued by a division bench comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Sayan Banerjee.
The bench also stated that in cases of urgent requirement, the concerned parties may apply to the registrar. However, barring such exceptions, union rooms are to remain sealed.
Crucially, the court has also asked the State Government to clarify its stance on the long-delayed student union elections. An affidavit must be submitted by the State within two weeks, and the matter is scheduled to be heard next on 17 July.
While the court did not explicitly state that student union rooms may only be reopened after elections are held, many have interpreted the ruling as a step in that direction.
Student union elections have remained suspended in several institutions across the State for years, drawing criticism from opposition-backed student bodies. These groups have consistently demanded the resumption of the democratic process on campuses.
This is not the first time the High Court has intervened on this issue. In March, the bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam also sought a detailed affidavit from the State and questioned the prolonged delay.
At the time, the State’s counsel attributed the situation to the absence of permanent vice-chancellors in many universities, which made the organisation of elections difficult.
Chief Justice Sivagnanam had sharply remarked, “Take some stand. Elections are not being held. Dissatisfaction is being created among the students.”
The court’s latest order also comes against the backdrop of a disturbing incident at South Kolkata Law College, where a student was allegedly gang-raped.
Four individuals — one alumnus, two current students, and a security guard — have been arrested in connection with the crime. All three are reportedly linked to the Trinamool Congress’s student wing.
The victim herself had reportedly been accused of opposing the college’s student body on the day of the incident.
Opposition student organisations have since intensified their demand for immediate student union elections, blaming the lack of democratic representation for fostering unchecked campus politics and violence.
The High Court’s move to lock union rooms is being seen as a response to growing concerns about deteriorating campus safety and the absence of transparent student representation mechanisms.
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