The campus came together for a historic evening on 31 October as IIIT Hyderabad hosted its first-ever formal oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected Students’ Parliament for 2025–26. This landmark event marked an important step in strengthening the institute’s student governance structure, bringing together student representatives and faculty to officially begin a new term of leadership.
Prof. Radhika Mamidi, Chair of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC), opened the proceedings with an address to the newly elected members. Her remarks were both congratulatory and motivating, while also emphasizing the privilege and responsibility that come with assuming office.
This was followed by a presentation from Mr. Pradeep Pal, Chief Election Commissioner and former General Secretary of the Students’ Parliament, who shared a data-driven overview of recent election trends. He walked the audience through participation statistics across various batches over the years and concluded by posing an important question—how to further strengthen and encourage student engagement in the democratic process.
The central moment of the ceremony unfolded as Prof. Tapan Sau, Chair of the Student Life Committee (SLC), administered the oaths of office. General Secretary Mr. Vinay Lanke and Speaker Mr. Vedant Kulkarni were the first to take the Oath of Office, Oath of Secrecy, and Oath of Leadership, followed by the Secretaries, Deputy and Joint Secretaries of each council, and then the remaining Members of Parliament. The oaths were taken in groups of two or three in the members’ preferred languages—Bangla, English, Hindi, and Telugu—reflecting the diversity of the student body. Members were also presented with a commemorative hoodie upon completing the ceremony.
Afterward, the newly sworn-in General Secretary and Speaker addressed the gathering, sharing their vision for the coming year, ongoing initiatives already underway, and their commitment to serving the student community in the spirit of the oath they had taken. They also expressed their appreciation to the Student Affairs Committee, Student Life Office, and Election Commission for their support in organizing the ceremony.
Prof. Sandeep K Shukla, Director, and Prof. K S Rajan, Registrar, then offered personal reflections from their own student leadership experiences, underscoring the value of responsible governance, the expectations placed on Members of Parliament, and the potential of students to drive meaningful change on campus. Former Director Prof. P J Narayanan followed, adding his congratulations and sharing insights from his college years, enriching the evening with perspectives from multiple generations of student leadership.
The formal ceremony transitioned into dinner, but the conversations continued well into the evening. Newly elected Members of Parliament engaged in constructive discussions with faculty, exploring ideas for the year ahead and seeking guidance on various aspects of governance. These interactions reflected the collaborative spirit fostered by the event, laying a strong foundation for the work that lies ahead.
With this ceremony, the Students’ Parliament of 2025–26 has formally begun its mandate—ready to represent the student community and contribute to the continued growth and betterment of IIIT Hyderabad.
Council Overviews
Infrastructure Council
Responsible for issues related to shared public infrastructure on campus—classrooms, workspaces, the library, non-hostel washrooms, water coolers, pavements, streetlights, and more. The council collaborates with Campus Facilities and Services (CFS), the Campus Services and Beautification Committee (CSBC), and the Registrar’s Office.
Academic Council
Handles matters related to academic policies, awards, attendance, leave, courses, TAship, placements, and similar concerns. It works closely with the Academic Office, Placement Office, and the Dean (Academics).
Research Council
Addresses issues related to DD, MS, and PhD thesis and graduation requirements, fee structure, RAship, advisor concerns, and lab-specific matters. It works with the PG Cell, the Academics Office, and the Dean (R&D).
Health Council
Responsible for issues related to Aarogya, hospital MOUs, and other health-related concerns on campus. The council works with the Campus Health and Medical Committee (CHMC).
Hostel Council
Takes up all hostel-related issues and works with Hostel Incharges, Hostel Wardens, and the Chair of the Council of Wardens (COW).
Mess Council
Handles policy-level and serious matters concerning the institute’s messes. Each mess has a sub-council comprising Mess Council members and student volunteers who coordinate with the Mess Office and contractors on inspections, menu planning, and related tasks.
Stall Council
Deals with issues concerning campus stalls, including menus, pricing, hygiene, and proposals for new stalls. It works with the Institute Mess and Stall Committee and CFS.
Sports Members
Focus on sports attendance issues, sports credit policy, and sports equipment and infrastructure. They work closely with the student Sports Council and the Sports and Yoga Committee.
Students’ Parliament Members for 2025 – 2026
General Secretary – Vinay Lanke
Speaker – Vedant Kulkarni
Academic Council
Secretary – Anshul Bhagwat
Deputy Secretary – Soham Vaishnav
Members: Chanda Akshay Kumar, Chandrahas Nandibhatla, Devansh Kantesaria, Hershi Jaiswal, Hrithik Ranjan, Kattagani Haasini, Kimaya Arora, Likhith Kanigolla, Neharika Rajesh, Pratyush Vempati and Sukasi Manidhar
Research Council
Secretary – Anagha Pradeep
Deputy Secretary – Devansh Kantesaria
Members: Aaryan Kashyap, Anshul Bhagwat, Arghya Roy, Damini Chandi Priya Adusumilli, Hemang Joshi, Hershi Jaiswal, Kattagani Haasini, Likhith Kanigolla, Naveen Kumar Gajingam, Prakhar Jain, Shree Mitra, Soham Vaishnav and Surtani Monica
Health Council
Secretary – Neharika Rajesh
Deputy Secretary – Arghya Roy
Members: Advait Vuppalanchi, Anshul Bhagwat, Chandrahas Nandibhatla, Kattagani Haasini, Kimaya Arora, Pratyush Vempati, Shubham Gupta, Vadla Shiva Kishan, Veena Ramadas, Chaitanya Thogata, Hritik Ranjan, Prakhar Jain, Sunil Kumar, Surtani Monica and Yaswanth Gangineni
Hostel Council
Joint Secretary – Likhith Kanigolla
Joint Secretary – Veena Ramadas
Members: Advait Vuppalanchi, Alapati Sai Pavan Adit, Arghya Roy, Chanda Akshay Kumar, Damini Chandi Priya Adusumilli, Daniel Vincent, Devansh Kantesaria, Hemang Joshi, Hershi Jaiswal, Hritik Ranjan, Kattagani Haasini, Likhith Kanigolla, Naveen Kumar Gajingam, Neharika Rajesh, Vrishin Shah, Prakhar Jain, Sukasi Manidhar, Surtani Monica, Shree Mitra and Sunil Kumar
Mess Council
Secretary – Naveen Kumar Gajingam
Deputy Secretaries – Sanyam Gandhi (Yuktahar), Sukasi Manidhar (Kadamba), Vadla Shiva Kishan (Palash)
Members: Aaryan Kashyap, Anagha Pradeep, Chanda Akshay Kumar, Chandrahas Nandibhatla, Gaurav Goswami, Hritik Ranjan, Nallasingu Jagankrishna, Kimaya Arora,
Likhith Kanigolla, Naveen Kumar Gajingam, Alapati Sai Pavan Adit, Shubham Gupta,
Sunil Kumar, Vrishin Shah, Yaswanth Gangineni and Pradeep Pal
Stall Council
Secretary – Yaswanth Gangineni
Deputy Secretary – Nallasingu Jagankrishna
Members: Aaryan Kashyap, Daniel Vincent, Hemang Joshi, Hershi Jaiswal, Likhith Kanigolla, Sanyam Gandhi, Sukasi Manidhar and Pradeep Pal (Advisor)
Infrastructure Council
Secretary – Pratyush Vempati
Deputy Secretary – Sanyam Gandhi
Members: Aaryan Kashyap, Chanda Akshay Kumar, Damini Chandi Priya Adusumilli,
Daniel Vincent, Hemang Joshi, Kimaya Arora, Prakhar Jain, Sanyam Gandhi, Shree Mitra,
Surtani Monica and Vadla Shiva Kishan
Sports
Members: Advait Vuppalanchi, Alapati Sai Pavan Adit, Chaitanya Thogata, Daniel Vincent, Gaurav Goswami and Shubham Gupta
Photographs: Parliament_Members_Oath_Taking_Event
November 2025