Campus Polls / Student Union Elections to Be Held in 341 Colleges and Universities Across Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Oct 7: Student union elections will be conducted in 341 colleges and universities across Odisha this month, with the Higher Education Department formally initiating the election process for the 2026-27 academic session, officials said on Wednesday.

Notifications have been issued by higher educational institutions across the State, paving the way for the election and selection of student representatives.

As per information available till 8 p.m. today, as many as 328 colleges and 13 universities have opted to elect student leaders through direct elections. Another 202 colleges and three universities will choose their representatives through a selection process.

Institutions opting for elections

According to the Higher Education Department, a total of 341 institutions will hold elections to choose student union office-bearers. These include 328 colleges and 13 universities spread across the State.

Meanwhile, 205 institutions, comprising 202 colleges and three universities, have chosen the selection route for identifying student leaders.

The three universities opting for the selection process are Odia University, Shri Jagannath Sanskrit University and Gangadhar Meher University. The remaining 13 universities will conduct direct elections.

Nomination schedule

The election process will commence with the filing of nominations on October 9 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be carried out between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on the same day, while the list of valid nominations will be published at 5 p.m.

Candidates wishing to withdraw their nominations may do so on October 10 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The final list of contesting candidates will be announced at 3 p.m. on October 10.

Campaign and voting

The 'Why I Stand For' meeting, where candidates present their vision and agenda to students, will be held on October 14.

Polling is scheduled to take place on October 15 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Counting of votes will begin immediately after polling, and results will be declared on the same day.

The oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected student representatives will be held on October 16.

The announcement marks the beginning of one of the most closely watched exercises in campus democracy, with students across Odisha preparing to elect their representatives for the coming academic year.