On 30th December 2024, members of the Student Legislative Council (SLC), Student Election Committee (SEC), and Hostel Representatives gathered virtually for SLC Meeting 5 to discuss several matters including constitutional amendments and the roadmap for the upcoming semester.
General Updates and Opening Remarks
The session began with a celebratory note, recognizing IITM’s success at the Inter-IIT Sports Meet and congratulating the sports participants. Following this, attendance was recorded, and the agenda for the meeting was outlined. The Speaker highlighted the legislative body’s responsibility to deliberate thoroughly and formulate policies under the systematic procedures outlined in the Constitution.
Moderated Caucus (Constitutional Amendment Discussions)
- CAB: M.Tech Legislator Re Categorisation (Discussion): SEC 2024-25
The SEC proposed a constitutional amendment to address concerns about inadequate M.Tech student representation and determining the appropriate point of contact for M.Tech students regarding M.Tech-specific issues—whether through the four existing M.Tech legislators or their departmental legislative representatives.
Concerns were raised about merging roles with research scholars, as it might reduce representation for both groups. Suggestions included separate representation for UG, PG, and PhD students, grouping departments for M.Tech representation, and forming a structured feedback committee.
It was announced that legislators interested in joining the Ad Hoc Committee could nominate themselves.
Detailed discussions on re-categorization were deferred to either the next SLC meeting or an Ad-Hoc committee. This committee would collect feedback from M.Tech students regarding their representation preferences.
- CAB: Elections (Discussion): Department Legislator (Research) Physics
The discussion regarding the number of times a person from the Institute can stand in elections was next in line.
As per the current scenario, a person can contest for elections ‘n’ number of times during their time at IIT Madras. The key amendments were:
- A candidate contesting for the posts of Legislator or Hostel Council member for a maximum of two times during the tenure at IIT Madras.
- A candidate who has earlier contested for the posts of Legislator/Hostel Council can contest again, including for the Executive Council posts.
- A candidate once contested for the Executive Council post cannot contest for any of the positions.
A motion was raised to gauge opinions on whether there should be a cap on the number of times a student can contest elections. The attendees were split on the matter. Some argued that experienced candidates should be allowed to continue if voters preferred them, while others contended that limiting the number of candidacies would foster fresh perspectives and responsible governance.
Most of the representatives were in favor of leaving it to the voters. However, given the lack of consensus and the absence of some hostel representatives, it was decided to form an Ad-Hoc committee for a detailed discussion.
- CAB: Women Representation Bill (Discussion): Ad-Hoc Committee on Women Representation
A highlight of the meeting was the discussion on increasing women’s representation in student governance. The proposal aimed to create a channel for female students to approach the ICC (Internal Complaints Committee) through women representatives. These representatives, familiar with ICC rules, would support students in navigating the complaint process.
It was suggested that existing women leaders in student bodies like T5E, Saathi, and SGS be considered for these positions due to their wide reach. Regarding the Committee Against Sexual Harassment (CCASH), it was proposed to have three exclusive positions for women representatives, for UG, PG, and PhD levels.
The discussion became heated when the topic of male representation in CCASH was raised. While some representatives advocated for male inclusion, others emphasized that CCASH is intended to address issues faced by women. The SLC Speaker intervened, steering the focus back to women’s representation. The matter of male representation was deferred for future meetings.
A draft proposal inspired by practices at IIT Roorkee and IIT Bombay was recommended.
Moderated Caucus (Bill/Resolution) Presentation Hour
- ASCB 2024: Department Legislator (Academic) Medical Sciences and Technology
Due to the unavailability of the DMST Legislator, discussions on this agenda item were postponed until the next meeting.
- Resolution: Delinking Semester Enrollment from Institute Fee Payment: Department Legislator (Research) Physics
The final discussion centered on the resolution to delink semester enrollment from institute fee payment. Under the current policy, students must pay their fees by January 13th, 2025, with a daily fine of ₹2500 for delays. This change has added significant financial and mental stress on students.
The proposed resolution called for reverting to the previous policy, where students could enroll and pay fees later within a flexible timeline. The next step involves convincing the administration to adopt this resolution, emphasizing student well-being.
- Proposal for the Removal of P Grades
Lastly, towards the end of the meeting, there was a brief discussion about the student complaints regarding P grades. The hostel representatives pointed out how P grades are now more detrimental than the previously given W grades since students cannot take up any new PoRs from the next semester onwards. This is especially disadvantageous for first and second-year students.
Hence, the meeting concluded with a decision to draft a bill outlining the disadvantages of P grades. This bill will be presented in the next SLC meeting.
With this, the last SLC meeting of the year 2024 came to an end.
