The Department of Economics & Centre for Research, St. Teresa's College (Autonomous), Ernakulam, organised a Meet the Candidates programme on 29 June 2026, followed by the Department Association Election for the academic year 2026–2027 on 30 June 2026 to promote democratic participation and student leadership.

The Meet the Candidates programme provided a platform for the candidates contesting for various Association positions to introduce themselves and present their vision, ideas, and objectives before the student community. The programme enabled students to gain a better understanding of the candidates and their proposed contributions to the Department Association.

Following the programme, the Department Association Election was conducted on 30 June 2026. Students actively participated in the voting process and exercised their right to choose their representatives for the Association. The election was conducted in a transparent and democratic manner.

The elected representatives for the Department Association 2026 were Aishwarya S as Association Secretary, Shreya S as Joint Secretary 1, Ameya Sneha Smithy as Joint Secretary 2, Neha Saji as Joint Secretary 3, Akshaya Sunish as Joint Secretary 4, Aisha Nazreen as Media Head 1, and Rajeshwari R as Media Head 2.

The programme successfully encouraged student participation and promoted democratic values, leadership, and informed decision-making among the students. The programme concluded with the declaration of the election results and congratulations to all the elected representatives.

OUTCOME OF THE PROGRAMME

Increased awareness about the democratic and electoral process.

Enhanced student participation in the Association election.

Provided students with an opportunity to make informed electoral choices.

Promoted leadership and democratic values among students.

Encouraged active participation in departmental activities.

Successfully elected the representatives of the Department Association 2026.

CONCLUSION

The Meet the Candidates programme and Department Association Election 2026 successfully achieved its objectives by promoting democratic participation and student leadership. The programme provided candidates with an opportunity to present their vision and enabled students to actively participate in the selection of their representatives. The initiative was informative, participatory, and successfully strengthened democratic values among the students of the Department of Economics.