Our meeting with V. V. Sai Praneeth took
place at his hostel room in Vyas Bhawan.
Opinionated, expressive and confident, he
seemed to be willing to answer every
question posed. Needless to say, we at EPC
had no qualms on deciding to give its
readers the skinny on this hopeful. Here are
excerpts from the interview.
Praneeth has been involved with the SU
since his first year as a student volunteer.
As a member of the Department of
Reception and Accommodation, he claims
to possess managerial knowhow. On being
asked why he decided to contest for the
student polls, Praneeth says he has always
wanted to change the SU from a festoriented body to a student-oriented one.
He feels much is needed in terms of the
responsibility of the SU to turn its head
and focus towards more student welfarerelated activities. He speaks eagerly about
handling the finances of the Students’
Union as one of his main motivators
behind his contesting for the post.
One of his important manifesto points is
the Centre for Youth Leadership Program
which aims to give professional guidance
and leverage to the students on campus.
Another offering from his side is the
proposed creation of a driving school
facility in Pilani. The varied envisioned
fruits of this initiative might make it
beneficial for most residents of Pilani.
However, in the light of his tussle with the
EC Panel on the same issue, the credibility
of it was left unaccounted for.
The
Laundromat
service, the
establishment
of
mess
convenience
stores and the
vending machines are purely pro-bono with
no undue pressure on students’ pockets
except for the service fee which is nominal.
For instance, he claims that the
Laundromat service will provide a cheaper
alternative to the existing dhobi system.
However, his plan to integrate the dhobi
community in Pilani with the private
service provider is easier said than done.
The vending machines will preferably be
handled by Sodexo, which presently handles
the student messes as well.
His manifesto point which promises the
setting up of a Presidential Review
Committee chaired by the Chief Warden
and people of similar stature on the lines
of the Audi Ragging modus operandi, is
presented as a step towards transparency.
He feels it makes the SU President and his
cohort all the more dutiful and diligent in
fulfilling his manifesto points.
Praneeth recounts the tale behind the
making of his manifesto and says it took
him about six months to construct it, and
he brought in changes to about sixty
percent of his initial draft. He signed off
saying that informed voters hold the key
and stresses on the importance of
recognizing the qualities of an able leader.