Bhubaneswar, Aug 11: The Odisha Higher Education Department has directed all higher education institutions across the state to form or reconstitute mandatory safety committees and anti-ragging mechanisms before the commencement of the 2026-27 academic session, with the aim of ensuring a safe and supportive environment for students.

In an official communication issued by Joint Secretary Mousumi Nayak, Registrars of all state public and private universities, including deemed-to-be universities, and Principals of government, aided and unaided degree colleges, Sanskrit colleges and teacher education institutions have been instructed to comply with the directive.

The institutions have been given a strict seven-day deadline to implement the required safety frameworks and review the existing composition of these bodies.

The directive requires institutions to reconstitute the Anti-Ragging Committee, Anti-Ragging Squad and Anti-Ragging Monitoring Cell or an independent monitoring mechanism. They have also been asked to strengthen their Internal Committees under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

Besides, Student Grievance Redressal Committees, Student Service Centres and psychological counselling units must be strengthened. Where applicable, institutions have also been asked to appoint or activate an Ombudsperson.

For greater transparency, institutions must prominently display the names, designations, official email IDs and contact numbers of committee members and nodal officers on notice boards and official websites.

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