Bhubaneswar: The students’ union elections in colleges and universities in Odisha will be held from next year.

This was revealed by Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan today.

The students’ union polls in colleges and universities in the state have not been conducted since 2018.

“The colleges and universities usually hold the students’ union polls in the first week of September. The new government in the state did not have much time to make the necessary arrangements for conducting the students’ union polls this year. All arrangements will be in place for conducting the students’ union elections next year. The state government has taken a decision in this regard,” said Harichandan.

Some days ago, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj had revealed that the state government was holding consultations to hold students’ union polls in Odisha. “The Higher Education department will take appropriate decision in this regard after taking into account the students’ interest,” the Minister had said.

Notably, the Higher Education Department, in a notification, had directed the vice-chancellors of state universities and principals of all government degree colleges as well as aided non-government colleges to cancel the students’ union elections in 2018.

The state government then argued that the decision regarding the cancellation of elections in universities and colleges was taken in the larger interest of the students.

Since then, the Higher Education Department has not allowed the educational institutions to conduct the annual students’ union polls.

Protesting the government decision, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had approached the Orissa High Court.