After a long gap, student parliament elections are returning to Odisha’s colleges and universities this month, and the state government has moved quickly to ensure they stay peaceful.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg chaired a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan today to review preparations for the polls in all higher education institutions under the Higher Education Department. She directed every District Collector and Superintendent of Police to extend full support to colleges and universities so that the elections are conducted in an orderly atmosphere.
Nomination filing is scheduled for October 9, with voting and declaration of results set for October 15. Officials have been told to prevent any violence or disruption on campuses during this period.
The meeting was attended by Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh, Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra, Intelligence Director R.P. Koche, and Higher Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary Aravind Agrawal. Collectors and SPs from all districts joined virtually.
Garg stressed that maintaining peace and protecting the academic environment remain the top priorities. She asked district authorities to act under the Lyngdoh Commission guidelines if any disorder or violence arises. In line with the Lyngdoh report, non-students are barred from entering campuses, interfering in the process, or creating disturbances. Collectors and SPs have been instructed to keep a close watch on this restriction.
Collectors, SPs, Additional District Magistrates and Sub-Collectors will visit every higher education institution in their districts. They will hold discussions with college and university authorities as well as students on election management. Special attention will be given to institutions where student unrest was reported during earlier elections.
Agrawal briefed the meeting on the detailed election schedule and rules. He said all relevant institutional data and the standard operating procedure for poll management will be shared with collectors and SPs. He also directed them to ensure strict compliance with both the Lyngdoh Commission recommendations and the Higher Education Department’s guidelines.
Police and intelligence officials said SPs will inspect campuses before nomination filing begins. Monitoring will continue from the filing stage through vote counting, result declaration and the immediate post-election period.
The meeting also underscored the need for direct dialogue with students. Higher Education Director Kali Prasanna Mahapatra, Joint Secretary Mousumi Nayak and other senior officers were present.
With the long-awaited return of campus elections now only days away, the administration’s message is clear: the polls will go ahead, but only under tight administrative and police oversight.
