BHUBANESWAR: DGP Vinaytosh Mishra on Tuesday directed all SPs and senior officials concerned to ensure peaceful and violence-free student elections, scheduled to be held across public universities and colleges on October 15.
Chairing a high-level meeting virtually at the police headquarters, he stressed on close coordination with college authorities and students for the campus polls.
Mishra directed police station in-charges and sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) to regularly engage with student leaders and coordinate measures for peaceful conduct of the polls.
He asked police to prevent the entry of outsiders and anti-social elements into college campuses and keep a close watch on hostels, messes and student gatherings.
The DGP also advised against unnecessary deployment of police personnel in the absence of any threat of violence, while directing officers to monitor student gatherings, feasts and other events. District collectors, SPs, sub-collectors and college principals were asked to hold coordination meetings ahead of the elections.
To prevent post-poll violence, the DGP called for heightened vigilance after the declaration of results and directed officers to take preventive measures.
Meanwhile, ahead of the formal notification for the campus polls on Wednesday, the Higher Education department authorities also chaired a high-level meeting on the day to review preparations for the student union elections, with principals of colleges, registrars of universities and chairpersons of PG Councils participating virtually.
Chairing the meeting, Higher Education secretary Aravind Agrawal directed the institutions to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against violence. While the department has already announced age limit of the UG and PG students to be eligible to participate in the campus elections, both as candidates and voters, the officials clarified that they are also required to have a SAMS Id to contest the elections or cast their votes.
“Use of objectionable comments on social and digital media during the election campaign will be completely prohibited, while false, misleading, manipulated or AI-generated fake content will not be permitted,” the DHE warned.
Candidates are required to obtain written permission from the college authorities to organise processions or public meetings on campus, officials said. They said the election campaigning will also be completely prohibited from 2 pm on October 14 to 2 pm on October 15.
The colleges and universities have also been asked to constitute a grievance redressal committee headed by the dean (student welfare) or teacher-in-charge of student affairs to address complaints related to the elections.
