Odisha Govt Asks Colleges To Ensure Fee Waiver For Odia Honours Students

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has made it clear that no fee other than hostel charges will be collected from Plus III students opting to study Odia as core subject in colleges run by it.

In a directive to principals of all government degree colleges and autonomous colleges, the Higher Education department said no fees except the hostel charges will be collected from any under graduate student pursuing Odia as honours.

According to reports, the clarification comes following representations from various colleges. Several colleges pointed out that by exempting fees for Odia students, they are facing difficulty in depositing examination fees as well as certificate and mark sheet fees for the Odia honours students to the Controller of Examinations of the universities to which they are affiliated.

The department, in its directive issued on Wednesday, clarified that all such expenses have to be borne by the colleges from their own college development or examination funds.

The state government had decided to exempt all fees except hostel charges for Odia honours students from 2018-19 academic session to promote the language.

Following approval in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the higher education department had issued a letter to the principals of the government colleges asking them not to charge fees other than hostel fees from students studying Odia as honours subjects in Plus III level.

The state cabinet in December 2017 had also taken several other decisions to promote Odia language including conducting a world conference on Odia language in every five years.