Industry Odisha Bureau, Jul 1: In a major decision, the Odisha Government has decided to provide free education to students from kindergarten (KG) to postgraduate (PG) level in all government and government-aided educational institutes of the State.
The State Cabinet led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has approved the “Gyanodaya – Shiksharu Samruddhi”: KG to PG Free Education Scheme during its meeting held here today.
Under the scheme, eligible students admitted to regular mode courses in Government and Non-Government Aided institutions will be provided complete waiver of admission fees. Beginning with the Academic Session 2026–27, the scheme will cover students enrolled in Classes IX to XII in Government and Non-Government Aided schools, as well as students pursuing Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) programmesin regular mode in State Public Universities, Government Colleges and Non-Government Aided Colleges, the Chief Minister said.
As education from Kindergarten (KG) to Class VIII is already free in Odisha, this initiative completes the State Government’s vision of providing free education from KG to PG, he said.
The CM said the scheme has been designed to ensure that no deserving student is deprived of education due to financial constraints. By reducing the financial burden on families, particularly those from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections of society, the initiative will encourage greater enrolment, improve retention, reduce dropout rates and enable more students to pursue higher education without interruption, he pointed out.
The benefits of the scheme will be available only to students enrolled in regular mode courses offered by eligible Government and Non-Government Aided institutions. Self-Financing Courses or institutions, unaided institutions, PPP-mode institutions and courses, as well as professional and technical programmes, are outside the scope of the scheme.
Recognising education as the cornerstone of inclusive and sustainable development, the Cabinet has approved an estimated expenditure of Rs 895.57 crore during the first year and Rs 5,467.55 crore over a period of five years for implementation of the scheme.
This represents one of the largest public investments in the education sector by the State Government and is expected to benefit over 32lakhs of students every year while significantly easing the financial burden on their families, the Chief Minister further said.
The initiative is fully aligned with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Odisha Vision 2036 and Odisha Vision 2047. It is expected to promote equitable access to education, improve the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), strengthen human capital development and contribute to building a skilled, educated and empowered generation for the future, he stated.
Majhi said the “Gyanodaya – Shiksharu Samruddhi” is not merely a fee waiver programme; it is a significant step towards ensuring that every child and youth in Odisha has an equal opportunity to pursue education, irrespective of economic background.
The initiative reflects the State Government’s unwavering commitment to empowering every family through education and advancing the vision of a Viksit Odisha built on knowledge, opportunity and inclusive growth, he added.
