ISS Elections: A Perfect System Marred by Loopholes
Have you ever wondered which the most active groups in ISMU are? You might put your money on Kartavya, Genesis, FFI or even MD, but have a closer look and you will find that there are groups which work in the background and the dedication of whose members challenges even that of the societies mentioned above (pun intended).
A large section of students of third year channelize their energies in only one direction, their sole motivation being �THAT CUP OF DOMINANCE FOR A YEAR�. The first two months of the session see intense meetings, immaculate planning and strategies being implemented through calculated moves. The masterminds are generally in the background, directing their pawns and pulling their strings.
Moreover, as already mentioned in MD last year, the inactivity of official societies and a lack of permanent members means that the selection panel often finds itself helpless in judging the competence of interested candidates. This leads to them depending on recommendations and G.P.A. for the selection process. Students often take advantage of this situation, moulding the system to meet their motives.
Take for example, the selection of sports captains and representatives. There should not even be a need for interviews, which in any case were nothing short of being �farcical�. Representatives can and should be chosen on the basis of past performances which unfortunately, is not possible as there exist no such �past performances� to go by. Real sports enthusiasts keep demanding for coaches which can solve this problem, but that seems like a distant possibility.
Another burning issue is the delay in the selection of the ISS body. This has crippled the functioning of most societies. An early election would have bought them more time to execute their plans, if any. Ripples of this delay are sure to be felt four months later in Srijan. Do you think that just two months of effective planning will suffice the organisation of the most �awaited� event in ISMU�s calendar?
Most people will agree that the system in place for the Students� Society is, in the ideal case, nearly perfect for the development of greater interaction between students and teachers as well as a more active student population. The reality, however, is anything but so.
