Mangaluru: In a first-of-its-kind move, the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, successfully conducted its student council elections through its in-house digital platform, IRIS (Integrated Resource and Information Sharing). The election, which saw participation from over 6,000 students, marked a shift from the previously used Google Forms method.
Until now, IRIS had been used primarily for conducting hostel-related elections. However, with increasing concerns over technical glitches and incomplete voter lists in previous student council polls, the system was upgraded and adapted for institute-wide use. A senior professor involved in IRIS’s implementation noted that this step was taken to enhance transparency and eliminate issues faced in the older process.
According to a former student council member, past elections conducted via Google Forms often faced complaints—most notably, the omission of several students’ names. This year, using IRIS integrated with students’ institutional email IDs, ensured all eligible voters were able to participate without disruption.
While final-year B.Tech and M.Tech students, postgraduate candidates, and PhD scholars who had submitted their theses were excluded from voting, the rest of the student body cast their votes seamlessly. The campus also witnessed an active campaign season, with candidates relying heavily on social media outreach and traditional door-to-door canvassing across hostels and departments.
Students expressed satisfaction with the new system, pointing out the smooth conduct and timely declaration of results—an improvement over previous delays. Official voter turnout figures are expected soon.
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