Lucknow: Seeking better university infrastructure, adequate faculty strength, transparent recruitment processes, affordable education and jobs closer to home, first-time voters in the Lucknow Graduate Constituency on Friday cast their votes with expectations of solutions to challenges affecting their academic and professional futures.They voted through ballot papers at the Kendriya Vidyalaya polling centre in Gomti Nagar.Arohi Singh, an MA student at Lucknow University, said, “Recruitment exams should be held on time and results declared without unnecessary delays. Students need clarity on when they can expect jobs after years of preparation.”Aditya Kumar, an MA student at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, said delays in scholarship disbursal put students from financially weaker backgrounds under pressure, forcing them to struggle to arrange fees and meet education-related expenses. He said timely financial assistance was essential to ensure students could continue their studies without the uncertainty of how to fund their education.For technical graduates, creating more employment opportunities within Lucknow was a key expectation.Mehek Ahuja, a postgraduate student at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, said, “Many students move to Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad because larger technology companies offer more job opportunities there. We want more companies to establish offices in Lucknow so we can find good jobs without leaving our city.”Other first-time voters said they expected their elected representative to raise issues concerning graduates and follow up on promises related to employment, recruitment and higher education.(Photos by Sunil Kumar)
