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Odisha govt asks institutes to ensure a violence-free students' union election
The elections will be held on October 15, with polling scheduled from 8 am to 2 pm. Counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on the same day
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After announcing dates for the students' union election in public universities and colleges, the Odisha government has issued detailed guidelines for institutes to ensure a violence-free campus poll.
The elections will be held on October 15, with polling scheduled from 8 am to 2 pm. Counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on the same day. The elected representatives will take oath on October 16.
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In a letter to the heads of government colleges and universities, the state Higher Education Department laid particular emphasis on maintaining discipline and ensuring a violence-free electoral process.
Higher Education Department Secretary Aravind Agrawal directed all institutions to adopt a 'zero-tolerance policy' towards violence on campus and ensure that the elections are conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner.
The government issued the instruction after two groups of students allegedly had a confrontation at Khallikote Unitary University campus in Berhampur in Ganjam district on Monday.
Nine persons were detained, and police personnel have been deployed on the campus following the violence, officials said.
Following the issuance of the election notification, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Agrawal to review preparedness for the student union elections. Registrars and PG Council Chairpersons of universities and Principals of colleges across the state participated in the meeting virtually.
The secretary briefed the participating institutions on the election rules and prescribed procedures and directed them to make all necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the polls.
Institutions have been asked to constitute committees for managing the election process, make arrangements for ballot papers and ballot boxes, and ensure strict compliance with all election guidelines.
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"All institutions must ensure that the student union elections are conducted smoothly and strictly in accordance with the prescribed rules. There will be zero tolerance towards violence on campus, and all necessary steps must be taken to ensure a peaceful and disciplined election process," he wrote.
As per the letter, each higher educational institution will constitute a grievance redressal committee headed by the dean (student welfare) or teacher-in-charge of student affairs, with representation from faculty, administration and final-year students.
Students enrolled in UG and PG programmes with a valid SAMS ID will be eligible to participate in the elections, subject to the prescribed conditions, it said.
Students enrolled through distance education or PPP (public-private partnership)-mode self-financing programmes will not be eligible to contest or vote, while students enrolled in self-financing programmes through Student Academic Management System (SAMS) will be eligible, as per the guidelines.
Candidates contesting the elections must fulfil the prescribed age criteria (For UG courses, candidates must be between 17 and 22 years of age, while candidates for PG courses must be aged 25 years or below), have at least 75 per cent classroom attendance and have no criminal record, it said.
The maximum expenditure allowed for campaigning is ₹5,000 per candidate, and candidates must submit details of their election-related expenditure within two weeks of the declaration of results.
The election rules prohibit the use of abusive or indecent comments on social and digital media. False, misleading, manipulated or AI-generated fake content will not be permitted during the campaign, the guidelines said.
Processions and public meetings on campus will require written permission from the college authorities, while participation of outsiders or non-students in the election process has been prohibited.
Campaigning will be prohibited during the 24-hour period preceding the close of polling, from 2 pm on October 14 to 2 pm on October 15.
The department has directed institutions to complete all preparations and ensure strict adherence to the election guidelines for smooth and peaceful conduct of the polls. The Secretary reiterated that there will be zero tolerance towards violence on campuses.
With the announcement of the poll, student leaders from different colleges and universities welcomed the move and felicitated Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj at his official residence.
Speaking to media persons, Suraj appealed to students to adhere to the Lyngdoh Committee report during the students' union poll. "If any outsider, who is not directly involved in the election process, is found violating the guidelines, strong action will be taken against him/her," he warned.
In institutes where the environment is not conducive, the concerned authority will take a call on conducting the campus poll, he said.
Meanwhile, Odisha DGP Vinaytosh Mishra said the superintendents of police have been asked to ensure no outsiders are involved in the election. "If the poll is held without involvement of outsiders, it will pass peacefully," he said.
Notably, the students' union election will be held in Odisha after a gap of eight years. The previous BJD government had stopped holding college elections since 2018 due to various reasons, including violence on campuses and the Covid-19 pandemic.
