Finance
The Odisha government’s Higher Education Department has released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for higher education institutions under its jurisdiction to deal with the heat wave crisis in the summer of 2026.
According to the SOP, colleges should schedule courses and exams in the morning, limit outdoor activities during peak afternoon hours, assure the availability of drinking water and Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), maintain water infrastructure, and provide first aid services.
The department has also urged universities to educate students and staff about heat-related precautions and reschedule events to prevent high heat conditions. To protect the health and well-being of students, professors, and staff, institutions have been requested to adhere to the standard operating procedures.
“Classes, internal assessments and examinations shall, as far as practicable, be conducted or rescheduled during the morning hours to avoid exposure of students to peak heat conditions. Institutions may suitably adjust daily timetables keeping local heat conditions in view”, read the SOP.
As per the SOP, outdoor academic, sports and co-curricular activities shall be restricted during peak afternoon hours. Where unavoidable, such activities shall be conducted with adequate safeguards and preferably during relatively cooler periods of the day.
Adequate stocks of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) must be kept on hand and easily accessible, particularly in classrooms, hostels, common spaces, and examination centers. Furthermore, all tube wells, hand pumps, and drinking water facilities on campus must be inspected and non-functional units fixed on a priority basis to avoid any disruption in water delivery during the summer months, according to the SOP.
The SOP states that basic first aid facilities in institutions and examination centers must be kept ready to deal with heat-related discomfort, dehydration, dizziness, and other medical emergencies. Institutions must identify accountable persons to provide quick support in such situations.
