The Ravenshaw University is back to square one with its authorities being forced to cancel election to the students’ union again this year.

On Tuesday, the students demanding elections confined the vice-chancellor to his office for nearly 13 hours.

Unrest was triggered on the campus shortly after the election notification was issued around 3pm on Monday, scheduling it to be held on October 11. Around 3.45pm, the students opposing the fresh alternative model for students’ representation burnt tyres and staged demonstrations demanding direct mode of election. By 4pm, the students barged into the office of the vice chancellor and started picketing outside his official chamber. When they refused to budge, the authorities issued the election cancellation notification around 6pm. But, they continued their picketing all night.

“The students restricted me to my office for nearly 13 hours, and it was not before over 5pm that I could leave for my residential quarters,” vice-chancellor Ishan Patro said.

Last year, the authorities had, under identical circumstances, deferred the elections indefinitely. “We want direct elections and not the so called two-tier system for election of office-bearers to form the students’ union,” said Arati Meher, a postgraduate student.

Under the two-tier system, which the Ravenshaw University wants to adopt, students will elect class representatives who, on their part, will elect the office-bearers of the students’ union. “There is no rationale for changing the age-old tradition of Ravenshaw giving the students the democratic right to directly elect their representatives to form the union,” said Ashok Tandi, another postgraduate student.

Patro, however, said: “The university cannot bend over to the demand of a small group of students opposing the two-tier system of election. If they continue to orchestrate unrest on the campus, more strict decisions will be taken. Besides, decision was taken on the basis of recommendation of the executive council,” he said.

On August 10 last year, the university had notified an alternative model for the students’ representation by replacing the single apex body such as students’ union with students’ councils for each of the nine schools consisting of 34 departments.

But, stiff opposition by a combined front of students’ organisation forced the university to defer election indefinitely on August 22, 2017 and refer the matter to the council. However, no recommendation had followed till the council met on September 28.