Gyanodaya Initiative Aims to Boost Enrollment Ratios with Free KG‑PG Courses

In a press conference, Minister Surya Vamsi Suraj highlighted that many students in Odisha abandon higher education due to economic constraints. The Gyanodaya Scheme is intended to make higher learning accessible to every qualified candidate, ensuring no one is denied basic academic opportunities because of lack of funds.

The scheme’s rollout includes a mandatory registration via the Student Academic Management System, where students must maintain at least 75 % attendance, reducible to 65 % under exceptional circumstances. The tuition waiver applies to regular UG and PG programmes in state‑run universities, government colleges, and private colleges receiving grant‑in‑aid status. Professional courses such as law, management, and computer applications remain outside the scope. The government also introduced a fee‑regulation mechanism to prevent arbitrary fee hikes, reinforcing transparency and protecting student interests.

Officials anticipate that the free‑education drive will propel Odisha’s GER to the 60 % goal envisaged in the state’s long‑term development visions.