Chandigarh: Hundreds of students of Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, on Thursday participated in an open house discussion during which various issues, including central status to the varsity, elevator facility in girls' hostels, sports facilities and good canteen facilities, were debated upon.

The leaders of various students' groups were greeted with frenzied applause when they took to the stage at the open house, marking the final phase of the students' union election.

Leaving no stone unturned to make their mark, the student leaders held heated discussions, levelling allegations and counter-allegations against each other.

They also spoke about women empowerment in the university and better participation of women in future elections by having reservation for them.

"PUCSU (Panjab University Campus Students' Union) elections are an integral part of smooth functioning of the university.

"So far, the run up to the elections has been peaceful and we want to ensure that it continues like this till the end of the whole process. We hope the best possible candidate wins," said Naval Kishore, dean students welfare, PU, who was present during the open house discussion.

PU elections are to take place on Sep 12. University officials have made it clear that the elections will be carried out strictly according to the Supreme Court's guidelines and the Lyngdoh committee's recommendations on students' union polls.

This year the four major groups contesting PUCSU elections are Panjab University Students Union (PUSU), Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Indian National Student Organisation (INSO).

There are over 9,000 students at the PU campus in Chandigarh that is spread over 550 acres. The varsity has around 60 teaching and research departments and over 100 colleges in Punjab that are affiliated to it.

Around two dozen graduate, postgraduate and professional colleges in Chandigarh are affiliated to PU and they too are participating in the students' council polls.

Panjab University is one of the oldest universities in India, having been established in 1882 at Lahore. In 1956, PU was relocated at Chandigarh.

The University campus was designed by Swiss architect Pierre Jeanerette under the guidance of the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, mastermind behind the designing of th city beautiful, one of the few well-planned cities of the country. IANS