Bhubaneswar: To create a secure and supportive campus environment for students, the Odisha Higher Education Department has directed all higher education institutions in the state to form or reconstitute mandatory safety committees and anti-ragging mechanisms before the commencement of the 2026–27 academic session.
The official communication, issued by Joint Secretary Mousumi Nayak, has been sent to the Registrars of all state public and private universities, including deemed-to-be universities, and to the Principals of government, aided and unaided degree colleges, Sanskrit colleges and teacher education colleges under the department.
The institutions have been instructed to immediately implement the required safety frameworks within a strict seven-day timeline. Also, institutions must urgently review the existing composition of these bodies.
Under the directive, higher education institutions are required to reconstitute and review the Anti-Ragging Committee, Anti-Ragging Squad and Anti-Ragging Monitoring Cell or independent monitoring mechanism. They must also activate and restructure the Internal Committee under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
In addition, Student Grievance Redressal Committees, Student Service Centres, psychological counselling units and, where applicable, the appointment or activation of an Ombudsperson must be strengthened.
To ensure transparency and easy access for students, universities and colleges have been asked to display the names, designations, official email addresses and phone numbers of committee chairpersons, nodal officers and members prominently on notice boards and official websites.
The Regional Directorates of Higher Education covering Odisha’s Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern zones will carry out physical inspections and audits to verify compliance. Institutions that fail to complete the reorganisation and demonstrate functional safety mechanisms within the stipulated seven-day period risk administrative and disciplinary action.
