Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday approved 12 key proposals, including the landmark new scheme “Gyanodaya – Prosperity through Education” scheme, aiming to ensure free education for students from Kindergarten (KG) to Postgraduate (PG) level. The decision was taken during a state cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the Lok Seva Bhawan here.After the cabinet meeting, CM Majhi described the new “Gyanodaya – Prosperity through Education” scheme as a landmark decision, underscoring that under this new scheme, the state government has approved free education for all students in Odisha from Kindergarten (KG) to Postgraduate (PG) level.“I had announced this initiative earlier, and today the Cabinet has formally approved it. This historic decision will ensure that not a single student in Odisha is deprived of education or discontinues studies due to financial constraints. This is a historic step towards making quality education more accessible, equitable and affordable for students across the state,” said Majhi.The Chief Minister underscored that students enrolled in regular courses at government and government-aided educational institutions under the School and Mass Education (S&ME) and the Higher Education departments will receive a complete waiver of admission and enrolment fees.He announced that the new scheme will be implemented from the 2026-27 academic year and will cover students studying in Classes IX to XII in government and government-aided schools, as well as those pursuing regular undergraduate and postgraduate courses in state public universities, government colleges and government-aided colleges.Majhi said the benefits under the scheme will be available only to the students enrolled in regular courses.Since education from Kindergarten to Class VIII is already free in Odisha, this initiative fulfils the State Government’s vision of providing free education from KG to PG, said the Chief Minister.“The initiative is expected to increase enrolment by reducing the financial burden on families, especially those belonging to economically weaker and disadvantaged sections of society. The attendance in schools and colleges will improve, reduce the dropout rate and enable more students to pursue higher education without any barriers,” the CM added.The scheme does not cover self-financing courses or institutions, private unaided institutions, institutions and courses operating under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, or professional and technical programmes.The Odisha Cabinet approved an estimated outlay of Rs 895.57 crore for the first year and Rs 5,467.55 crore over five years to implement the scheme. Describing it as one of the government’s biggest investments in the education sector, Majhi said it would benefit over 32 lakh students annually.“Gyanodaya – Prosperity through Education” is much more than a fee-waiver programme. It is a significant step towards ensuring that every child and young person in Odisha has equal access to education, irrespective of their economic background. This initiative will empower every family through education, and it is a testament to the state government’s firm commitment to realising the vision of a “Samruddha Odisha” based on knowledge, opportunity and all-round development,” said CM Majhi.
