TV
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced on Thursday that students' union elections in colleges and universities will be held in the upcoming academic year. The declaration holds importance as no student body elections have taken place in the state in the past six years.
The CM made this announcement while attending an event of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Bhubaneswar. While addressing the gathering, he also criticized the previous Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government for halting the students' union elections for such a long duration.
“The state government is actively discussing conducting students' union elections in the next academic year. I am still at a loss as to why the previous government halted the student body elections,” stated CM Majhi.
Incidentally, the BJD government had stopped student union elections since 2018 under various pretexts. While at times it was suspended because of cyclones, COVID-19, and campus unrest, were attributed as other reasons behind cancellations in other years.
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With the elections suspended, opportunities for leadership development among students were also halted, as claimed by several student wing groups.
Over time, repeated student protests erupted against the government's decision as many alleged fears of rising anti-government sentiment in colleges and universities as the motive behind the cancellation of student elections.
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In 2023, demonstrations and agitations over the issue intensified, with protests spilling onto the streets, including a gherao of the then Higher Education Minister’s residence. Despite the widespread unrest, the BJD government did not resume student union elections.
