Fri Apr 25 20:02:14 UTC 2025: ## Delhi University to Hold “Youth Run” for One Nation One Election Amidst Exam Clash
**NEW DELHI –** Delhi University (DU) is set to host a large-scale “youth run” promoting the One Nation One Election (ONOE) initiative on April 30th, an event to be launched by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh. However, the timing of the event, coinciding with the start of end-semester practical examinations, has sparked controversy among faculty members.
Several DU teachers have raised concerns about the event’s political motivation and its disruption of the academic calendar. They allege that the university is being used to promote a political agenda, forcing students to participate, particularly 2000 students from the National Service Scheme (NSS), during a crucial exam period. One anonymous teacher criticized the event as “political propaganda.”
Maya John, a DU professor and Academic Council member, expressed deeper concerns, stating that using a public university to influence public opinion on a policy—ONOE—not yet passed by Parliament, undermines the university’s role in fostering open debate and discussion.
While the university administration denies any political intent, claiming the run aims to raise youth awareness about ONOE, it has not addressed the teachers’ complaints directly. The event follows a series of smaller, ONOE-related events at the university in recent months, escalating into this large-scale university-organized initiative.
This comes after the Delhi BJP announced a city-wide awareness campaign for ONOE, aiming to explain the purported societal and national benefits of the initiative. The university’s practical exams are scheduled to begin on April 30th, with theory exams starting May 13th.
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