Odisha will hold student union elections on October 15 after an eight-year gap, with nominations, campaigning rules, polling and results scheduled across colleges and universities
OdishaPlus Bureau
Student union elections will be held in Odisha’s colleges and universities on October 15, eight years after campus polls were last conducted in the state.
The Higher Education Department on Monday announced the detailed schedule for elections to student unions and other student societies and associations in state public universities, government colleges and non-government aided degree colleges for the 2026-27 academic session. The announcement has also been reported by local sources following the government’s release of the schedule.
Colleges and universities will issue the election notification on October 7. Nomination papers will be filed, scrutinised and valid nominations published on October 9. Candidates can withdraw their nominations on October 10, when the final list will also be released. The ‘Why I Stand For’ meeting will be held on October 14.
Polling will take place from 8 am to 2 pm on October 15, followed by counting and declaration of results. The oath-taking ceremony will be held at 11 am on October 16, which will also be kept as a reserve day.
The government has fixed ₹5,000 as the maximum expenditure a candidate can incur on canvassing.
Students seeking to contest must be regular, full-time students with at least 75 per cent attendance and no academic arrears. Students enrolled through distance education or PPP mode, as well as those in self-financing courses, will not be eligible. Those with criminal records or pending disciplinary proceedings will also be barred from contesting.
Campaigning will be regulated. Printed posters and pamphlets will not be permitted, while handmade posters can be used only at designated locations. Loudspeakers and the use of vehicles or animals for campaigning will be prohibited.
Political party involvement and appeals based on caste or communal identity have been barred. Candidates have also been warned against using AI-generated fake content.
Student union elections were last held in 2017. The previous government suspended the polls in 2018, citing campus disturbances and other reasons, followed subsequently by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said the government had promised to revive campus elections and had worked on addressing issues in higher education institutions before deciding to hold the polls from this academic session.