Bhubaneswar, 05 October (H.S.): Student union elections will be held across colleges in Odisha on October 15, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj announced on Monday, ending an eight-year hiatus.

The announcement came after the Minister met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Subsequently, the Higher Education Department issued a notification directing all State Public Universities and Government, Autonomous and Aided Degree Colleges to conduct student union elections for the 2026-27 academic session.

As per the election schedule, the official election notification will be issued on October 7. Candidates can file nominations on October 9 between 10 am and 1 pm. Scrutiny will be conducted from 2 pm to 4 pm, followed by publication of the list of valid nominations at 5 pm.

Candidates can withdraw their nominations on October 10 between 10 am and 1 pm, while the final list of candidates will be published at 3 pm the same day. The “Why I Stand For” meeting will be held on October 14.

Polling will take place on October 15 from 8 am to 2 pm, with counting of votes and declaration of results beginning immediately after polling. The newly elected representatives will take oath on October 16 at 11 am.

The notification has made it mandatory to keep student union elections completely dissociated from political parties. Only regular full-time students admitted through the Student Academic Management System (SAMS) will be eligible to contest or vote in the elections.

Students enrolled in Distance Education or Self-Financing courses under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode will not be eligible to participate in the elections in any capacity.

The department has also prescribed eligibility criteria for candidates. Undergraduate candidates must be aged between 17 and 22 years, while postgraduate candidates must not be more than 25 years of age as on the date of notification. Candidates must have no academic arrears during the year of contest, at least 75 per cent classroom attendance, and no previous criminal record or pending disciplinary proceedings.

The maximum election expenditure has been capped at ₹5,000 per candidate. The department has directed educational institutions to strictly follow all guidelines issued in pursuance of the Supreme Court’s directions to ensure the orderly conduct of elections while keeping disruption to teaching and learning activities to a minimum.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda