On August 5, 2025, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) reportedly clashed at Utkal University ahead of student union polls.

Although the state government had not yet announced an official election date, both the ABVP and BJYM, rival factions associated with the BJP, had already begun active campaigning. Tensions flared during a campus event led by the ABVP when BJYM student and non-student members entered campus, leading to heated arguments regarding the influence of “outsiders” on election outcomes. The situation escalated into a physical confrontation, leaving several students from both sides injured and requiring hospitalization.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent clashes between student groups on campus. Scholars at Risk calls on all parties to exercise restraint and to avoid violence. State authorities have the right and obligation to maintain order, which they must with due regard for the rights of protesters and others, including the rights to free expression, academic freedom, peaceful assembly, and due process.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://odishatv.in/news/odisha/group-clashes-rock-odisha-s-utkal-university-ahead-of-student-union-polls-269369
https://pragativadi.com/clashes-and-protests-rock-utkal-university-as-student-union-election-looms/