# National Students' Union of India

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) is the student wing of the Indian National Congress (INC or Congress). It was established on 9 April 1971, founded by Indira Gandhi after merging the Kerala Students Union and the West Bengal State Chhatra Parishad to form a national students' organisation. Varun Choudhary is current National President of NSUI.

## Membership

In order to become a member of NSUI, one must be under 27 years of age, must be a student, must be a citizen of India, must not be part of any other political organization and must not have been convicted of any criminal activity in past. NSUI categorizes its members into "Primary Members" and "Active Members". One can become member by filling online membership form.

## Campaigns
### Hum Badlenge Campaign

The "Hum Badlenge" Campaign by NSUI was launched in November 2024 under which organization has invited passionate students to become Campus Ambassadors for their universities. Students can apply online through Hum Badlenge website and this nationwide initiative aims to identify ambassadors in 250+ universities across India.
As part of the campaign, ambassadors will:
* Raise important issues on their campuses.
* Receive training and support from the Congress Party and NSUI.
This program is designed for students who are committed to social justice, secularism, gender equality, and the Nehruvian-Gandhian legacy.

### 'Burn the chaddi' campaign

In June 2022 during the Karnataka textbook controversy the Congress students' wing NSUI (National Students Union of India) protested against the saffronisation of school textbooks. As a symbolic protest they burnt an underwear outside the Home of Education Minister BC Nagesh. They set fire to a pair of khaki shorts similar to the short in the uniform of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members.
The BJP complained to the police accusing the NSUI activists of trying to burn the minister's house down. Siddaramaiah said, "During a protest, we symbolically burnt one underwear - just one underwear. But the police and government made it a big issue and said we are trying to burn the house... So let's start a chaddi-burning campaign,". The Congress launched a "burn-the-chaddi" campaign and Siddaramaiah announced that, as a sign of protest against RSS ‘chaddis’ would be burnt.

## Achievements

Victory in Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) Elections: NSUI won prestigious DUSU elections in 2024. Ronak Khatri was elected as the President and Lokesh Choudhary was elected as the Joint Secretary.
Movements Led by NSUI: NSUI has consistently been at the forefront of student movements, addressing critical issues, including:
* Paper Leak, Examination Irregularities and Scams: Exposing scams like paper leaks in NEET, UGC NET, UPPCS RO/ARO, UP Police recruitment, and other exams.
* Fee Hikes: Protesting against arbitrary increases in tuition and examination fees to ensure education remains affordable.
* Reservation for OBC, SC, and ST Students: Advocating for proper implementation of reservation policies in educational institutions.
* Women's Safety: Organizing campaigns and protests to demand safer campuses and public spaces for women.
* Fund Cuts in Scholarships and Education Budgets: Opposing reductions in funding for scholarships and education, ensuring equitable access for students from marginalized communities.

## Protests and Movements

NEET Protest: In response to alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 exam, members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) protested by storming the National Testing Agency (NTA) office in Delhi, locking the building and demanding the agency's shutdown. The protest was sparked by concerns over paper leaks and the unusual result of 67 students scoring a perfect 720. Following the protest, the Delhi Police filed charges against the National President of NSUI Varun Choudhary and other members. Similar protests were then held in different cities across India. The controversy led to petitions and a Supreme Court ruling for a re-test for over 1,500 students. The Ministry of Education formed a committee to review the exam process, while the CBI investigates the alleged irregularities. On 15 July 2024, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) staged a massive protest in Bhopal against the NEET paper leak, the nursing scam, and the controversial Agnipath scheme.
Parliament March: On 5 December 2024, members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), were stopped by Delhi Police while marching towards Indian Parliament. The protest aimed to highlight critical issues such as unemployment, delays in recruitment, and cuts in student scholarships and demanded fair recruitment processes, transparency in hiring, and the restoration of scholarships, particularly for marginalized communities. The protest condemned government policies that adversely affected students, particularly those from SC, ST, and OBC backgrounds. NSUI President Varun Choudhary and around 100 members were detained by Delhi Police.

## National Presidents

| S.no | President | Period | Period | Home State |
| 1 | Rangarajan Kumaramangalam | 1971 | 1974 | Tamil Nadu |
| 2 | Mohan Gopal | 1974 | 1976 | Kerala |
| 3 | Geetanjali Maken | 1976 | 1977 | Delhi |
| 4 | K. K. Sharma | 1977 | 1981 | Uttar Pradesh |
| 5 | Subhash Chaudhary | 1981 | 1982 | Haryana |
| 6 | Ramesh Chennithala | 1982 | 1984 | Kerala |
| 7 | Mukul Wasnik | 1984 | 1986 | Maharashtra |
| 8 | Manish Tewari | 1986 | 1993 | Punjab |
| 9 | Saleem Ahmed | 1993 | 1997 | Karnataka |
| 10 | Alka Lamba | 1997 | 1999 | Delhi |
| 11 | Meenakshi Natarajan | 1999 | 2003 | Madhya Pradesh |
| 12 | Ashok Tanwar | 2003 | 2005 | Haryana |
| 13 | Nadeem Javed | 2005 | 2008 | Uttar Pradesh |
| 14 | Hibi Eden | 2008 | 2012 | Kerala |
| 15 | Rohit Chaudhary | 2012 | 2014 | Delhi |
| 16 | Roji M John | 2014 | 2016 | Kerala |
| 17 | Amrita Dhawan | 2016 | 2017 | Delhi |
| 18 | Fairoz Khan | 2017 | 2018 | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 19 | Neeraj Kundan | 2019 | 2024 | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 20 | Varun Choudhary | 2024 | Incumbent | Delhi |

## Current State Presidents

| S.no | State | President |
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Naga Madhu Yadav |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Saruk Yura |
| 3 | Assam | Krishnanu Baruah |
| 4 | Bihar | Jaishankar Prasad |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | Neeraj Pandey |
| 6 | Goa | Naushad Chowdhari |
| 7 | Gujarat | Narendra Solanki |
| 8 | Haryana | Avinash Yadav |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | Tony Thakur |
| 10 | Jharkhand | Binay Oraon |
| 11 | Karnataka | Kirthi Ganesh |
| 12 | Kerala | Aloshious Xavier |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | Ashutosh Choksey |
| 14 | Maharashtra | Amir Shaikh |
| 15 | Manipur | Joyson K. H. |
| 16 | Meghalaya | Mewan P. Pariat |
| 17 | Mizoram | R. B. Lalmalsawma |
| 18 | Nagaland | X. Chophika Sumi |
| 19 | Odisha | Udit Narayan Pradhan |
| 20 | Punjab | Isharpreet Singh |
| 21 | Rajasthan | Vinod Jakhar |
| 22 | Sikkim | Jatin Farswal |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | M. Chinnathambi |
| 24 | Telangana | Yadavalli Venkata Swamy |
| 25 | Tripura | Swarup Kumar Sil |
| 26 | Uttarakhand | Vikas Negi |
| 27 | Uttar Pradesh | Rohit Rana (West) Anas Rahman (Central) Rishabh Pandey (East) |
| 28 | West Bengal | Priyanka Choudhary |
| 29 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | M. A. Sajid |
| 30 | Chandigarh | |
| 31 | Dadra Nagar Haveli | |
| 32 | Daman and Diu | |
| 33 | Delhi | Ashish Lamba |
| 34 | Jammu and Kashmir | Ajay Lakhotra |
| 35 | Ladakh | |
| 36 | Lakshadweep | Ajas Akber Puthiya Illam |
| 37 | Mumbai | Pradyum Yadav |
| 38 | Puducherry | Dr. Harsha Vardhan S. |

## Controversies

In November 2013, two members of the NSUI were injured by police as they attempted to submit a memorandum to the district magistrate. In late November, the NSUI filed a complain with the police against Madhu Kishwar, a writer who ousted the journalist that had been allegedly sexually assaulted by Tarun Tejpal.
NSUI national secretary Akshay Kumar, who was also elected as the joint secretary of Delhi University Students' Union in 2010, allegedly submitted fake documents to secure admission in the Department of Buddhist Studies. An FIR was filed against him by the Department of Buddhist Studies. In 2018, NSUI president Fairoz Khan stepped down from the post following the charges of sexual harassment against him.