Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has sought reply from the state government in connection with the cancellation of students’ union elections in universities and colleges.

The HC has served notices on the Chief Secretary, Higher Education department secretary and School and Mass Education (S&ME) department secretary while hearing a PIL filed by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Odisha.

The officials were directed to submit their replies within a week.

The petitioner had informed the HC that the state has not conducted the students’ union elections in public universities, government colleges and non-government aided colleges in Odisha since 2018.

The petitioner contended that the cancellation of the elections in universities and colleges has resulted in the infringement of fundamental rights of the students.

The ABVP, in its PIL, has urged the HC to direct the state government to issue necessary notification for conducting students’ union elections in universities and colleges in Odisha for the academic year 2023-24.

It is worth mentioning here that the Common Academic Calendar for 2023-24, issued by the state government in September, has no mention of the students’ union elections.