Bhubaneswar: A significant development is on the horizon for Odisha’s Higher Education landscape: Student Union elections in public colleges and universities are highly anticipated to be held before the Dussehra Puja holidays.
This positive indication came today from Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, echoing Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s commitment to restore campus democracy.
“Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has already expressed his desire to see student union elections conducted this year, and we are fully committed to this goal,” Minister Suraj conveyed to reporters. He emphasized the government’s serious consideration for the resumption of these elections, which have been a long-standing point of discussion.
In preparation for this, the Higher Education Department is moving swiftly to conclude the degree admission process. The objective is to kickstart the academic session for UG and PG courses by July 15. This expedited timeline is crucial to ensure that the first semester syllabus can be completed well in advance of the Dussehra holidays, thereby insulating student studies from the election schedule.
Addressing concerns about postgraduate admissions, Shri Suraj assured that the window will remain open until the Class XII results are announced by the CHSE, Odisha. A grace period of at least 10 days will be provided for students to upload their mark sheets post-results. The deadline for degree course admissions was already extended from May 20 to June 1.
“Our early start to the +3 admission process on April 16 this year was a deliberate move to ensure syllabus completion and facilitate the student elections,” the Minister highlighted, pointing out that last year’s admissions continued late into December.
The revival of student elections marks a notable shift from the previous BJD government’s policy, which had halted them since 2018 due to reasons such as campus violence and the pandemic. The reintroduction of these elections fulfills a key promise made by the BJP in its 2024 election manifesto.