Bhubaneswar, Oct. 5 (UDN): With student union elections set to return to higher educational institutions across Odisha, the Higher Education Department has issued a detailed set of rules governing eligibility, campaigning and expenditure for the 2026-27 polls.
Under the guidelines, undergraduate and postgraduate students will be eligible to contest and vote, subject to specified conditions. Students enrolled in distance education and self-financing courses under the PPP model, however, will not be allowed to participate. Students pursuing self-financing courses through SAMS will remain eligible.
Age and Attendance Criteria
Candidates contesting undergraduate elections must be between 17 and 22 years of age, while the upper age limit for postgraduate candidates has been fixed at 25 years.
A minimum of 75% classroom attendance is mandatory for candidates. Those with criminal records will also be barred from contesting.
Every eligible student must possess a valid SAMS ID to participate in the election process.
Campaign Spending Capped at ₹5,000
The department has fixed a maximum campaign expenditure of ₹5,000 per candidate. Contestants will have to submit expenditure certificates to their respective institutions within two weeks of the results being declared.
The colleges and universities will subsequently upload the expenditure details on the Higher Education Management Information System (HIMS) portal.
Restrictions on Campaigning
Candidates can use handmade posters during campaigns, while processions and public meetings on campus will require prior written permission from the authorities.
The participation of outsiders in the election process has been prohibited.
The guidelines also prohibit candidates and supporters from posting indecent remarks or circulating false, misleading, manipulated or AI-generated fake content on social media and other digital platforms.
Campaigning will have to end 24 hours before polling concludes, with the campaign deadline set from 2 pm on October 14 to 2 pm on October 15.
Institutions Asked to Ensure Transparency
Colleges and universities have been directed to publish polling venue details, election rules and other relevant information through notifications on October 7.
Election-related information—including nomination details, scrutinised and final candidate lists, withdrawals and certificates of elected candidates—will also be uploaded on the HIMS portal.
Each institution will be required to constitute a Grievance Redressal Committee, headed by the Dean of Student Welfare or Teacher-in-Charge of Student Affairs, to address election-related complaints.
Polling stations must also be thoroughly cleaned within 48 hours of the declaration of results.
Polls To Follow Lyngdoh Guidelines
The student union elections will be conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee and rules framed by the Higher Education Department.
A preparatory meeting was held on Monday under Higher Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary Arvind Agrawal, with university registrars, PG council chairpersons and college principals joining virtually.
Agrawal briefed the officials on the election schedule and guidelines and directed institutions to ensure proper arrangements, including the formation of election committees, preparation of ballot papers and ballot boxes, and strict adherence to the notified rules.
The elections mark the return of organised student union polls in Odisha’s higher educational institutions, with authorities stressing compliance, transparency and peaceful conduct throughout the process.