Looking Back at the First Years Committee 2025-26

The First Years Committee (FYC) of the Ashoka University Student Government (AUSG) was established as an advisory body to represent the interests and concerns of first-year students in Monsoon 2023.  It serves as a liaison between the incoming student cohort and the broader AUSG. Comprising appointed representatives, the committee for the Academic Year 2025-26 was tasked with advocating for the needs of the incoming batch, easing their transition into university life and providing resources that aid students academically, socially and culturally. As the FYC 2025-26 term comes to a close, The Edict reflects on the committee’s term, its promises, initiatives, and overall functioning. 

For many members, the decision to join FYC was deeply personal. Amid workers’ protests and policy changes, the batch of UG’29 stepped into a charged campus. In addition to the challenges of navigating unfamiliar administrative and academic structures, campus tensions contributed to a sense of disconnect among new undergraduates. They often lacked the context to meaningfully engage with campus politics.

Speaking to The Edict, a member of the FYC said their decision to join the FYC was driven by a desire to help their cohort participate in student politics and better integrate into university culture. Zahabiya Godhrawala (UG’29), another member of FYC, recalls the scattered nature of resources that posed an accessibility issue for their batch. She chose to join the FYC to bridge this information gap that seemed to be hindering students from participating in the broader campus discourse. 

After its formation, the FYC set out to build a centralised, accessible resource that would serve as a one-stop guide for students seeking information on courses, the Academic Management System (AMS), academic departments, student clubs, and campus facilities. However, several members note that it ultimately did not materialise.  

Concerning unpublished meeting minutes, the FYC members informed Edict that there were no plans to release them. Reflecting on the efficiency of these meetings in setting priorities and goals, a member noted that the plans fell short in execution. Attendance fluctuated across meetings, with some members eventually disengaging entirely, leading the committee to re-open applications a second time. However, Niharika Ghosh (UG’29) recalls several initiatives discussed during the FYC meetings, including town halls, open meetings and the creation of a grievance redressal form. While some initiatives materialized, many remain incomplete.

Among the priorities of the FYC was active outreach and communication. However, the FYC’s visibility remained limited as the student body was largely unaware of the committee’s existence and role. Speaking about FYC’s direct engagement with the student body, Godhrawala (UG’29) stated, “We didn’t get a chance to work properly with the student body….that was something I had gone in to do but then, that’s something that just did not happen,” she added.

Recalling the delayed initiation of the FYC, which coincided with the mid-semester period, members pointed to several challenges the committee grappled with over its term. This included the limited impact and voice of the FYC within the broader AUSG structure, communication gaps between the FYC and the AUSG and the eventual resignation of the AUSG Vice President, Ahana Walanju (UG’26), who served as the committee’s chair and primary point of contact. 

Ghosh (UG’29) shared her concerns about communication gaps between the AUSG and the FYC. The committee frequently found itself learning about major developments alongside the general student body. Godhrawala also shared her experience with the apprenticeship program, which was designed to acquaint FYC with the functioning of various student government ministries by working closely with the ministers. However, she noted that several of her outreach efforts did not translate into apprenticeships, often due to delayed responses or scheduling constraints.

The resignation of the Vice President has essentially left the committee defunct. Without an escalation mechanism in place, FYC has held no meetings since. Although Walanju had promised to guide the council in an informal capacity, the committee’s coordination and functions have stalled in the absence of an official AUSG liaison.

Despite these challenges, the FYC’s term was not without impact. The committee successfully escalated concerns regarding an Instagram account (@ashokawhispers), which shared posts that included harmful, non-consensual images and personal information of students. The committee helped take down the account and used the incident to reiterate the shared responsibility of students to uphold Ashoka’s ethos of respect, care and mutual trust. The FYC also hosted a mixer during its initial days to interact with the student body, inviting students to engage with members, raise issues, and suggest ideas for improvement. 

While many initiatives reflected the committee’s desire to contribute to campus life, several shortcomings prevented these ideas from translating into sustained outcomes. With the student elections nearby, Ghosh (UG’29) suggested that increasing political engagement amongst first years requires addressing the sense of alienation they feel from campus politics. Understanding their concerns, connecting them with the student body and making them feel part of the community are integral, she added.

[Edited by Anamta Husain and Somansh Sarangi]