Odisha Issues Strict Rules for Upcoming College Elections

The Odisha government has released strict new guidelines for public universities and colleges to prevent violence during the upcoming student union elections. Polling will take place on October 15 from 8 am to 2 pm, with vote counting and results declared on the same day. Elected student representatives will take their oath on October 16.

Election Rules

Higher Education Department Secretary Aravind Agrawal directed all institutions to follow a zero-tolerance policy towards campus violence following a recent student clash at Khallikote Unitary University in Berhampur. Colleges and universities must set up grievance redressal committees headed by the dean of student welfare or teacher-in-charge. Eligible voters include students in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes with a valid SAMS ID. Students in distance education or PPP-mode self-financing courses cannot vote or contest, while those in SAMS-admitted self-financing courses are eligible. Candidates must be between 17 and 22 years old for undergraduate courses and 25 or below for postgraduate courses, must maintain at least 75 percent classroom attendance, and must have no criminal record.

Campaign Limits

Candidates face a spending cap of 5,000 rupees for election campaigns and must submit expense details within two weeks of result declarations. The rules ban abusive comments on social media, along with false, manipulated, or AI-generated content. Public meetings and processions need written permission from college authorities, and outsiders are strictly banned from the process. Campaigning must stop 24 hours before polling closes, starting at 2 pm on October 14. Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj urged students to follow the Lyngdoh Committee report, warning of strong action against outsiders who break rules. Odisha DGP Vinaytosh Mishra stated that police superintendents have been ordered to keep outsiders away to ensure peaceful voting.

Context

These elections mark the first time student union polls are returning to Odisha after a break of eight years. The previous government stopped holding campus elections in 2018 due to safety concerns and pandemic disruptions.