AGRA, Nov. 3 -- Ever since its inception in 1920, Aligarh Muslim University has never had a woman at the helm of its students' union. Now, as AMU prepares for its first student union elections after 2018, a 28-year-old research scholar has taken the plunge in an otherwise male-dominated domain at the university.

Amina Irshad, the only woman among nine candidates contesting the president's post, hopes to break the glass ceiling that has kept the top position out of women's reach. Although this is not the first time a woman is in the fray for the top post, Amina's candidature is being seen as a more serious attempt than in the past. Also, it was just two years ago when the university got its first woman vice chancellor.

Polling for the Al...