Bhubaneswar: In a landmark decision to make education accessible to all, the Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday approved the ‘Gyanodaya-Shiksharu Samruddhi’ scheme, seeking to fulfill the state government’s commitment to providing free education from Kindergarten (KG) to Postgraduate (PG) levels.
After chairing the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told reporters that the government remains committed to ensuring that no student is deprived of education due to financial constraints. Among the key decisions, the Cabinet approved a proposal under which students will not have to pay any admission fee.
Notably, the Chief Minister had on June 12 announced free education from KG to PG levels as the BJP-led government in Odisha completed two years in office, positioning the state as a pioneer in comprehensive educational access. Now, the state Cabinet has put its stamp of approval on the proposal to translate the announcement into action.
Under the scheme, eligible students admitted to regular mode courses in government and government-aided institutions will get a complete waiver of admission fees. Starting from Academic Session 2026-27, it will cover students of Classes IX to XII in government and government-aided schools, and those pursuing Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes in regular mode in State Public Universities, government colleges and government-aided colleges.
With education from Kindergarten to Class VIII already free in Odisha, this initiative completes the vision of free education from KG to PG. The new scheme aims to ensure no deserving student is deprived of education due to financial constraints. It is expected to boost enrolment, improve retention, reduce dropout rates, and help students from economically weaker sections pursue higher education without interruption.
Self-Financing Courses, unaided institutions, PPP-mode institutions and courses, and professional and technical programmes are outside the scope of the scheme.
The Cabinet has approved an estimated expenditure of Rs 895.57 crore for the first year and Rs 5,467.55 crore over five years. The initiative is expected to benefit over 32 lakh students every year.
The initiative is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, Odisha Vision 2036, and Odisha Vision 2047. Officials said it will promote equitable access, improve the Gross Enrolment Ratio, and strengthen human capital development.
“Gyanodaya-Shiksharu Samruddhi” is a significant step towards ensuring every child and youth in Odisha has equal opportunity to pursue education, irrespective of economic background, advancing the vision of a Viksit Odisha built on knowledge and inclusive growth.
