Odisha state government has approved the Gyanodaya- Shiksharu Samriddhi’’ scheme, fulfilling the government's promise to provide free education from KG to PG. As per the policy, from the 2026-276 academic year, eligible students enrolled in regular courses at government and government-aided institutions will receive a complete waiver of admission fees.
Odisha CM in a post on social media stated that under the 'Jnanodaya - Prosperity through Education' scheme, a decision has been taken to provide free education to all students of Odisha from KG to PG. Through this historic decision, no student or girl student of the state will be deprived of education due to financial constraints, nor will they have to drop out midway through their studies.”
The "Jnanodaya - Prosperity through Education" is not just a free education program. It is an important step towards ensuring equal opportunities for education for every child and youth of Odisha, irrespective of their economic background.
Education from KG to class 8 is free in Odisha. The new scheme completes the vision for free education from KG to PG. As per reports, the scheme is set to cover students from classes 9 to 12 along with those pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate courses in State Public Universities, Government Colleges and Government-aided colleges. It is expected that this will benefit over 32 lakh students annually, especially those belonging to economically weaker and disadvantaged backgrounds.
The initiative is expected to help increase student enrollment, reduce dropout rates, and improve retention in schools and colleges and encourage higher education among the youth. The government has approved an expenditure of Rs. 895.57 Crore in the first year and Rs. 5,467.55 Crore in the next five years, as per reports.
Benefits of the scheme will be available for students enrolled in regular courses in Government and Government-aided institutions. Self-financing courses, unaided institutions, PPP-mode institutions, and professional and technical programmes are not included in this scheme.
