Odisha to hold college, university student polls on October 15

Odisha will hold students’ union elections on October 15 after an eight-year gap. The polls were last held in 2017. The new guidelines bar political funding, printed posters and AI-generated fake content, while imposing spending and eligibility restrictions on candidates

Bhubaneswar: Odisha will hold students’ union elections in colleges and universities under the Higher Education Department on October 15 for the 2026-27 academic session, ending an eight-year gap, according to a notification issued by the department on Monday.

As per the schedule, colleges will issue election notifications on October 7. Nominations will be filed and scrutinised on October 9, while October 10 will be the last date for withdrawal of nominations and declaration of the final list of candidates.

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The “Why I Stand For” meeting will be held on October 14, followed by polling on October 15. Votes will also be counted and the results declared on the same day. The oath-taking ceremony for newly elected students’ union members will be held on October 16.

Regular students’ union elections were last held in Odisha in 2017. The 2018 election cycle was cancelled following several incidents of campus violence and later Cyclone Titli, after which the process remained suspended through the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent change of government.

The notification lays down several guidelines for the campus polls, including complete disassociation of student elections and student representation from political parties. Candidates will be allowed to spend a maximum of Rs 5,000 each and cannot receive funds from political parties.

The code of conduct prohibits printed posters and pamphlets, appeals to caste or communal sentiments, bribery or intimidation of voters, and canvassing within 100 metres of polling stations.

It also bars candidates from using false, misleading, manipulated or AI-generated fake content on social media during the election process.

Another key provision is that only eligible regular students can contest the elections. Undergraduate candidates must be aged between 17 and 22 years, while postgraduate candidates must be up to 25 years old. Candidates must also have at least 75 per cent classroom attendance and no academic arrears in the year of contest.

Students admitted through Distance Education or PPP-mode programmes will not be eligible to contest. Candidates must also have no previous criminal record or pending disciplinary proceedings.

Candidates will be jointly responsible for cleaning the polling area within 48 hours of the conclusion of voting. Failure to do so will attract a penalty of Rs 1,500 on each candidate. Violations of the election guidelines may also lead to cancellation of candidature or the elected post, besides disciplinary action by the institution.