BHUBANESWAR: Students of various professional universities have urged the State Election Commission (SEC) to direct higher education and technical education institutions to defer examinations scheduled between February 16 and 24 in view of panchayat elections.
Members of All Odisha Technical and Professional Education Students’ Association said the exams scheduled on the days, if not postponed, will deprive over 5 lakh students the opportunity to exercise their franchise in the polls.
“A number of universities including Utkal University of Culture in Bhubaneswar and GIET University, Gunpur under the purview of the State government are conducting semester examinations for different courses during the election period,” said association convenor Biplab Prakash Mohanty. The association in a memo to the SEC urged to intervene and issue instructions to the Higher Education and Skill Development and Technical Education departments to postpone the examinations.