Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday launched ‘Videsh Siksha Bruti’ scheme, a significant initiative to help meritorious Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students pursue higher education abroad.
Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj formally inaugurated the scheme at an event in the capital city here. I twill be implemented from the 2025–26 academic year.
Who are eligible?
Eligibility is limited to SC and ST students whose family income does not exceed Rs 12 lakh per year and who have secured admission to postgraduate or PhD courses in any of the Top 200 universities or institutions as per the QS World Uni
versity Rankings, the minister said
Applications will be invited twice annually — in July–August and December–January.
“Each year, 50 students will be selected for the scholarship. Of these, 10 (four PG and six PhD) will be from engineering and technical education; 10 (four PG and six PhD) from medical, agriculture, architecture and other technical streams; and 30 (10 PG and 20 PhD) from higher education,” Suraj said.
Each selected student will receive a scholarship of up to Rs 25 lakh per year to support their studies, he added.
During the same event, the minister also handed over appointment letters to 34 candidates in Group C and D posts across aided colleges under rehabilitation assistance.
Additionally, the Odisha State Higher Education Council (OSHEC) was granted copyright authority to conduct Academic Performance Audits (APA) of all higher education institutions in the state. “This will enable OSHEC to assess and enhance academic standards, making Odisha the first state in the country to adopt such a system,” Suraj added.