Supreme Court seeks centre, EC, UGC reply on voting rights of students

The UGC, the Election Commission, and the Centre have been asked by the Supreme Court to respond to a petition seeking voting rights for students who are studying away from their home constituencies.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Central Government, the Election Commission of India (ECI), and the University Grants Commission (UGC) on a petition seeking voting facilities for students who are studying away from their home constituencies.

The petition raises a long-standing concern faced by millions of students across the country who are unable to vote because their colleges and universities are located far from their registered polling areas.

It argues that the current system effectively excludes a large section of young voters from the democratic process.

At the heart of the plea is a demand that such students be allowed to vote through postal ballots, similar to the facility provided to service voters, government officials on duty, and certain categories of migrants.

The petitioner has also requested that students be granted a holiday on polling day, enabling them to travel back to their constituencies if they choose to vote in person.

The matter came up before the top court after repeated concerns were raised about low youth turnout in elections, particularly among students living in hostels or studying in cities away from their homes.