Bhubaneswar: Utkal University, the oldest university of Odisha, has decided not to conduct the students’ union elections this year citing the possibility “pre-poll and post-poll campus violence” that might disturb the academic atmosphere of the varsity, reports said.
The students’ union polls were scheduled to be held October 11 colleges and universities in the State.
The PG Council of Utkal University today conducted a meeting and then informed that there will be no elections this year. “Elections for the Utkal University Students’ Union be not held for the session 2018-19 as there is no conducive atmosphere prevailing in the campus,” a notification issued by the PG Council office of the varsity said.
The university authorities also observed that the campus is still not completely free from anti-social elements. “The campus is not free from some types of violent incidents occurring regularly and therefore is not a peaceful campus,” it added.
The university administration had also cancelled the students’ elections last year following incidents of violence on the campus.
Last year, the university authorities had to declare sine die after some unidentified youths hurled crude bombs near the women’s hostel at the campus leading group clashes before the polls.
PNN