Odisha to Hold Student Union Elections on October 15 After Eight-Year Gap
Bureau, Odishabarta
Bhubaneswar, October 5, 2026: Odisha will hold student union elections across colleges and universities under the Higher Education Department on October 15, 2026, bringing back campus polls after an eight-year gap.
The elections, for the 2026-27 academic session, were last held regularly in 2017. The Higher Education Department issued a notification on Monday outlining a detailed schedule and a set of guidelines aimed at ensuring free, fair, transparent and politically neutral student elections.
According to the schedule, election notifications will be issued by colleges and universities on October 7. Candidates will file their nominations on October 9, followed by scrutiny of nominations on the same day. October 10 has been fixed as the last date for withdrawal of nominations and publication of the final list of candidates.
The “Why I Stand For” meeting will be held on October 14, a day before polling. Voting, counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on October 15. The oath-taking ceremony for newly elected student union office-bearers will be held on October 16.
Political Funding, Posters and AI-Generated Content Barred
The guidelines seek to keep student elections separate from political parties and prohibit candidates from receiving financial support from political parties.
Each candidate will be permitted to spend a maximum of Rs 5,000 during the election campaign. The use of printed posters and pamphlets has also been prohibited.
Candidates will not be allowed to appeal to caste or communal sentiments, offer inducements or bribes, intimidate voters, or canvass within 100 metres of polling stations.
The guidelines also specifically prohibit the use of false, misleading, manipulated or AI-generated fake content on social media during the election process.
Eligibility Conditions
Only eligible regular students will be allowed to contest the elections. Undergraduate candidates must be between 17 and 22 years of age, while postgraduate candidates must be 25 years or below.
Candidates must have at least 75 per cent classroom attendance and should not have academic arrears in the year in which they contest the election.
Students enrolled 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 Responsible for Post-Poll Clean-Up
The guidelines make candidates jointly responsible for cleaning the polling area within 48 hours after voting concludes.
Failure to comply will attract a penalty of Rs 1,500 on each candidate. Violations of the election guidelines may also result in cancellation of candidature or removal from an elected post, apart from disciplinary action by the concerned institution.
Eight-Year Hiatus Ends
Student union elections in Odisha were last held in 2017. The 2018 election process was cancelled amid incidents of campus violence and subsequent disruptions caused by Cyclone Titli. The elections remained suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to remain on hold thereafter.
With the latest notification, the state government has now formally revived the student electoral process, with the October 15 polls expected to bring elected student representation back to campuses across Odisha.
