Notwithstanding some pre-election violence reported from some educational institutions, all the 51 degree colleges and the Ravenshaw University in Cuttack district will have students’ union polls on October 14.
Following last month’s announcement by the Government, college and university authorities on Saturday issued notifications for the elections. While October 5 has been fixed for the last day to file nomination papers, the following day has been slated for withdrawal of the papers. looking at recent disturbances in the Ravenshaw University and the MS law College in the city, elections in these two institutions were doubtful. However, the authorities after discussing the law and order situations with the police, decided to hold the elections with a rider that if situations deteriorate, the elections would be cancelled.
Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahi has made it clear that the college authorities are empowered to cancel elections if proper atmosphere does not prevail in the campuses. Besides the 37 degree colleges located in the jurisdiction of Cuttack (Rural) police, elections would be held in all the 14 colleges and the Ravenshaw University in the city.
The Ravenshaw University witnessed commotion last month over the Ganesh Puja immersion procession leading to vandalism in which the car of the V-C was badly damaged. Similarly, panic prevailed in the campus earlier this week over rumours of bomb blasts while actually some mischief-mongers burst crackers on Tuesday evening.