Studies for free: Odisha makes KG-to-PG education free for all
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Bhubaneswar: Odisha has unveiled one of the country’s most ambitious education initiatives, announcing that higher education in all government colleges and universities will now be completely free for students across the state. The decision, announced by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi as the BJP government completed two years in office, significantly expands Odisha’s existing free education framework and is expected to benefit more than one million students.
The programme, popularly described as the “KG to PG” model, seeks to make education accessible from kindergarten through postgraduate studies. While free education up to Class 10 was already available in the state, the latest move extends the benefit to undergraduate and postgraduate levels, offering major relief to students from poor and middle-class families who often struggle to continue higher studies because of financial constraints.
The government estimates that waiving fees in state-run colleges and universities will create an additional annual expenditure of around Rs 30 crore. Despite the financial burden, the administration has projected the initiative as a long-term investment in the future of Odisha’s youth and its educational development.
Alongside the fee waiver, the state has announced plans to strengthen higher education infrastructure by establishing four new universities. The government has also linked educational expansion with large-scale recruitment of teaching staff to improve academic standards and address shortages across institutions.
According to official figures, 26,000 teachers have been recruited during the past two years. The government has further pledged to appoint more than 45,000 additional teachers in the coming years, a move aimed at improving teacher-student ratios and raising the overall quality of education.
The sweeping reform positions Odisha at the forefront of educational access, marking a significant shift in the state’s efforts to make higher education available to all sections of society.
