Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet in a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here on Friday approved the KALIA Scholarship scheme of the state government.
The objective of the scheme is to extend financial assistance to the children of the beneficiaries under KALIA for pursuing professional courses in Odisha. It is anticipated that the scheme will lead to better access to higher education for children of small and marginal farmers, landless agricultural labourers and vulnerable farm families.
The scheme will support the farmers for not only enhancing their income but also empowering them in the process and their family.
The children of all the beneficiaries under the KALIA scheme under different components like support to cultivators for cultivation, livelihood support to landless agricultural households and financial assistance to vulnerable agricultural households are eligible for the scholarship. About 30.2 lakh farm families have already been assisted under the KALIA scheme. The children of these farm families will be eligible to receive the KALIA scholarship at present.
Professional and technical graduation or integrated courses like MBBS, BDS, BHMS, BAMS, B.Pharma, B.Sc. (Nursing), PBBSC, B.Sc Agriculture, BVSC & AH, B.Sc Horticulture, B.Sc. Forestry, B.Sc Fisheries Science, B.Sc. Community Science, B.Tech (Agri Engg), B.Tech/B.E in government institute of the state are included under the KALIA Scholarship. Similarly, diploma courses like D. Pharma, DMLT, DMRT, Ophthalmic Assistance/Surgical OPTH Assistance, GNM, ANM, Psychiatric Nursing, Polytechnic and Agri Polytechnic in government institute of the state are included under the KALIA scholarship. Further, ITI courses of different trades in government colleges are included under the scheme.
The tuition fees, annual college fees, one-time college fees, hostel establishment charges, mess fees etc. shall be provided.
This apart, the state government will bear the higher study expenditure of the children of these farm families for taking admission in government professional colleges on merit basis.
