History of DUSU: From a ₹150 grant proposal in 1947 to national spotlight

As vote counting for the DUSU polls is underway on Saturday, the story of how the Delhi University Students' Union came into being offers a glimpse into the humble beginnings of one of the country's most prominent student bodies.

DUSU traces its origins to August 6, 1947, just days before India's Independence, when the university's vice-chancellor informed the Executive Council that a representative body of students desired to establish a university students' union.

The Council agreed in principle, noting that a committee would draft the necessary constitution and procedure, and proposed a small grant of Rs 150 for the union's preliminary expenses once it was formally constituted.

That proposal, made just before midnight on August 15, 1947, marked the start of an institutional journey that would eventually turn DUSU into the representative body for students from most Delhi University colleges and faculties, and a key arena of campus politics that draws national attention.

In the ear