Supreme Court Rejects PIL Seeking Implementation of Lingdoh Committee Guidelines, Calls It a ‘Publicity Interest Litigation’

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking the implementation of the 2006 Lingdoh Committee report, which lays down regulations for student union elections across colleges and universities in India. The Chief Justice described the petition as a “Publicity Interest Litigation”, aimed more at attracting attention than addressing any genuine legal concern.

The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, considered the plea filed by Shiv Kumar Tripathi but refused to entertain it, stating that the petition lacked substance. The Supreme Court has already accepted the recommendations of the Lingdoh Committee and made them mandatory for all universities and colleges in the country.

Purpose of the Lingdoh Committee
The committee was constituted by the Central Government under Supreme Court directives to ensure that campus politics did not undermine academic standards. Its primary goal was to eliminate the influence of money and muscle power in student elections while maintaining fair democratic processes on campuses.

During the hearing, Tripathi’s lawyer argued that the petition was filed to enforce the committee’s guidelines to ensure free and fair elections for student bodies in colleges and universities. However, the Chief Justice remarked that the petition appeared to be intended solely for publicity and media attention, and therefore dismissed it.

Committee Recommendations Already in Force
The Lingdoh Committee had recommended specific regulations, including age limits for contesting student elections: 17–22 years for undergraduate elections and 24–25 years for postgraduate elections. It also suggested several other regulatory measures to ensure transparency and fairness in campus elections. These recommendations are already binding on all higher education institutions across the country.