Bhubaneswar: Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Monday announced that student union elections will be held in all colleges across Odisha on October 15. The elections will take place after a long gap of eight years.
The Minister shared this information following a meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Meanwhile, the Higher Education Department has issued an official notification today directing all State Public Universities and Government, Autonomous and Aided Degree Colleges to conduct elections for the Academic Session 2026-27.
As per the schedule, the official notification regarding the election dateline will be issued on October 7. Nomination filing will take place on October 9 between 10 am and 1 pm, followed by scrutiny of nominations from 2 pm to 4 pm and publication of valid nominations at 5 pm on October 9.
Withdrawal of nominations will take place on October 10 from 10 am to 1 pm, and the final candidate list will be published at 03 pm that day. A meeting on “Why I Stand For” is scheduled for October 14, 2026. Polling will be held on October 15 from 8 am to 2 pm, with counting and result declaration beginning immediately afterwards from 2 pm.
The oath-taking ceremony will be held on October 16 at 11 am. The notification mandates complete disassociation of student elections from political parties.
Only regular full-time students admitted through SAMS will be eligible to contest or vote, while students enrolled in Distance Education or Self-Financing courses under PPP mode will not be allowed to participate in any capacity.
Candidates must fulfil specific eligibility criteria. Undergraduate students should be between 17 and 22 years of age and postgraduate students up to a maximum of 25 years as on the date of notification. They should have no academic arrears in the year of contest, a minimum of 75 per cent classroom attendance, and no previous criminal record or pending disciplinary proceedings against them.
The maximum election expenditure per candidate has been fixed at ₹5,000. All guidelines issued in pursuance of the Supreme Court’s directions will be strictly followed to ensure orderly conduct of the elections with minimum disruption to teaching-learning activities.
