Odisha to spend ₹5,467 crore for free education from KG to PG over next five years

Taking forward its earlier announcement of making education free from kindergarten to postgraduate level in Odisha, the cabinet headed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, approved ‘Gyanodaya – Shiksharu Samruddhi’, a new scheme to waive admission fees from the 2026-27 academic session.

The programme, which aims to make quality education more accessible, equitable and affordable for students, says eligible students admitted to regular courses in government and government-aided institutions will be provided with a complete waiver of entry fees.

A notification issued after the Cabinet meeting here said that the scheme will cover students from Classes IX to XII in government and government-aided schools as well as students pursuing regular Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) programs in State Public Universities, government colleges and government-aided colleges.

From Kindergarten (KG) to VIII in Odisha. Since education up to grade level is already free, this initiative complements the State Government’s vision of providing free education from KG to PG.

“The scheme is designed to ensure that no deserving student is deprived of education due to financial constraints. By reducing the financial burden on families, especially those from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections of society, the initiative will encourage greater enrollment, increase retention, reduce dropout rates and enable more students to pursue higher education without interruption,” the cabinet note said.

Self-financing courses or institutions, unaided institutions, PPP mode institutions and courses as well as vocational and technical programs were excluded from the scope of the programme.

The cabinet has approved an estimated expenditure of ₹ 895.57 crore in the first year and ₹ 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 more than 32 lakh students every year and significantly ease the financial burden on their families,” the note said.