Utkal University has indefinitely postponed its postgraduate mid-semester examinations after several students in girls’ hostels 6 and 7 developed symptoms linked to a suspected waterborne disease outbreak, with some requiring hospitalisation. Fresh examination dates will be announced after the health situation stabilises, according to a notification issued by the office of the chairperson of the university’s PG Council.
The affected students reportedly developed symptoms including diarrhoea and jaundice shortly after returning to the campus following the puja vacation. University authorities have initiated precautionary measures and said they are monitoring the health of the students. The report did not establish the cause of the illness, with laboratory testing still under way.
Health department officials and medical teams have been deployed to the campus. Blood samples from more than 30 students have been collected for testing, while a surveillance team from the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has collected water and blood samples for laboratory analysis. The samples are expected to help determine whether contaminated water or another source is responsible for the reported illnesses.
The university has set up a 24-hour control room, an on-campus pharmacy and a public health service centre to respond to cases and support students. The measures are focused on monitoring symptoms, facilitating medical care and limiting the possibility of further spread within the hostels.
More than 1,000 litres of purified drinking water have been supplied to the hostels as a precaution. Students have also been advised to drink boiled water and maintain food hygiene while the investigation continues. The immediate response places water access, food handling and health surveillance at the centre of efforts to protect students living in the affected accommodation blocks.
The postponement affects the postgraduate mid-semester examination schedule, but the university has not announced replacement dates. Those dates will be issued after the administration assesses the health situation. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation’s laboratory analysis and the health department’s assessment will determine the next steps in the response.
