SAMBALPUR: Amid the uncertainty over students’ union elections which have remained suspended in colleges and universities for nearly a decade, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Monday indicated that the state government is actively considering to resume the campus polls across educational institutions.
Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the convocation ceremony at Sambalpur University on Monday, the minister said he had sought recommendations from the Higher Education department regarding the conduct of elections across institutions in the state.
“I have sought recommendation from the department on conducting elections across all the educational institutions in the state. The department is prepared to resume the students’ union elections. Announcement in this regard will be made at the appropriate time,” he said.
Suraj’s remarks have sparked fresh speculation over the return of elected student bodies to campuses across Odisha. However, the minister did not announce any election schedule or specify a timeframe for conducting the campus polls. A formal notification from the Higher Education department in this regard is awaited.
Notably, students’ union elections were last held in Odisha in 2017. The subsequent election cycle was disrupted in 2018 when the government cancelled the polls scheduled for October 11 following cyclone Titli. Elections had also been cancelled in several institutions that year amid incidents of campus violence and other disturbances.
The government subsequently decided against holding students’ union elections in 2019, citing concerns over maintaining a peaceful academic environment. The Covid-19 pandemic further stalled any possibility of an immediate revival, and elections continued to remain suspended in the following years.
The issue of restoring campus polls has periodically resurfaced, with student organisations demanding the return of the electoral process. In 2025, the Higher Education minister had expressed hope that students’ union elections would be conducted, though no polls were held.
