Bhubaneswar: The state government will take a decision on conducting students’ union elections in universities and colleges in Odisha after due consultation.

This was revealed by Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj today.

“The state government is now holding consultations on conducting students’ union polls in universities and colleges in Odisha. A positive decision may come up. The Higher Education Department will take appropriate decision in this regard after taking into account the students’ interest,” said the Minister.

The students’ union polls in Odisha had been cancelled by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in 2019.

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.

The petitioner had urged the HC to issue a direction to the state government to conduct the students’ union polls for the academic session 2023-24.