In the Interim: Inside ISCAB’s Work over Summer

The Interim Student Council Advisory Board (ISCAB) of the Ashoka University Student Government (AUSG) was established as a temporary body to represent the interests of students. It was formed in the wake of inadequate votes in the inconclusive Summer 2026 election cycle held by the Ashoka University Election Commission (AUEC). As the AUEC Monsoon elections approach, The Edict spoke with members of the ISCAB regarding their work over the summer, the challenges of having a truncated SG, and their plans for the upcoming Monsoon election cycle.

Shatakshi Shelly (UG’28), in a previous report by The Edict, said the ISCAB’s primary goals were to appoint a Treasurer, Public Relations Director (PRD), and all the ministers. While ministers and the PRD were successfully appointed, a Treasurer has not yet been appointed. Third-year council member Asewe Letro (UG’27) says that “no formal position for a Treasurer was created”, as the Treasurer falls under the direct purview of the General Secretary - yet another position which was left vacant due to insufficient votes. Fathima Fida (UG’29), a second-year council member, says that talks for a new Treasurer are underway with someone who reached out regarding the role recently. Regardless, the Treasurer is an important position to be filled. 

The ISCAB continues to work on other projects as well. Asewe Letro (UG '27), Fathima Fida (UG’29), and Aditya Deshkulakarni (UG '27) are working on a project related to student employment opportunities on campus. While the proposal has gone to the Dean of Student Affairs (DSA), it is yet to be approved but is scheduled to be completed this semester. Aditi Vadhavkar (UG’29) and Anika Kumar (UG’29) are working on initiatives related to native species planting and conservation on campus,in partnership with the environment ministry and several volunteers. Aditi said that “an updated timeline is difficult to give at the moment” as this is also still in the works and hasn’t yet been fully proposed to the administration. She added that the administration has been “pretty receptive” to the idea as they already have plans for planting more native species underway. Additionally, the ISCAB conducted two sessions for the incoming first-years, one being a ‘Meet-Your-Ministers’ session, and the other in collaboration with AUEC to discuss the process for AUSG elections. Fida said that the sessions got “good feedback,” with many first-years showing a great interest in campaigning and applying for the First Years Council (FYC).

When asked about the third year council being understaffed and the absence of the fourth year council, YIF, and late graduates representative, Asewe says that there have been “some effects,” especially the lack of a direct voice of the fourth years, YIF, and late graduates in the meetings that ISCAB has. Despite these vacancies, Letro says that ISCAB has been “doing its best” to represent other batches who do not have elected representatives by being in “constant conversations with members of the respective batches.” He adds that the lack of representatives does not exempt ISCAB from its commitment to the student body as a whole. 

While the ISCAB continues to bridge these institutional gaps whilst working on the promised projects, the long-term solution ultimately rests on establishing a fully elected government in the upcoming Monsoon election cycle. 

Navneet Kaur (UG 2024), the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of the AUEC, told The Edict that the structure for the Monsoon Elections, including the debate schedules, has already been finalised. She added that necessary details would be shared with the study body soon via formal email communication and that adjustments to the schedule could be made as the elections progress. 

It is worth noting that the upcoming Monsoon Elections would be the third round of elections taking place to assemble a new student government for the 2026-27 Academic Year. When asked what the AUEC plans to do differently, particularly on measures to improve voter turnout, Kaur said, “One thing we’re doing differently this time is being much more intentional about engaging with the freshers from the beginning. We’ve been in constant touch with them and are trying to engage with them as much as possible, whether that’s through direct interactions or making sure they’re aware of how the election process works.” This, Kaur explained, would be especially important since a large section of the student body would be voting in an AUEC election for the first time. The commission is also hoping to be more intentional about communicating the different stages of the election, ensuring that the process is as clearly outlined and accessible for students as possible. 

After inductions that allowed students a week and a 24-hour extension to apply for the different positions at the AUEC, an increase in the number of applicants was observed, which Kaur says is a reflection of the enhanced student engagement that the commission has been working to build. 

(Edited by Nethra Ramakrishnan and Anamta Husain)