Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi has announced that the Odisha government will provide free education from kindergarten to postgraduate levels in all state-run schools and colleges. Speaking at a press conference marking the completion of the BJP government’s two years in office, Majhi emphasized that this universal free education initiative is designed to benefit all students across the state, with a particular focus on girl students and those from economically backward classes. He noted that Odisha may be the first state in the country to implement such a comprehensive policy spanning from early childhood to higher education.
This policy is expected to drastically lower financial barriers to schooling and advanced degree programs, likely driving up enrollment rates, reducing dropout numbers, and encouraging more women and marginalized groups to pursue higher studies. By removing tuition fees entirely, the initiative aims to make quality education an accessible reality rather than a financial burden for families.
In his address, Shri Majhi contrasted his administration’s focus on structural reform with the previous BJD government’s actions, which he criticized as superficial measures that prioritized painting schools over improving educational quality. He highlighted that literacy is no longer the primary hurdle for Odisha; rather, the focus must shift entirely toward elevating the quality of education to empower the youth and secure long-term state development.
To support this shift toward higher standards, the Chief Minister detailed several key steps already underway. The state has begun implementing the National Education Policy 2020 and has launched the Godavarish Mishra Adarsh Primary Schools scheme to upgrade primary education across all gram panchayats. Under the first phase of this scheme, which targets the creation of 2,200 schools, foundation stones have already been laid for 322 institutions.
The infrastructure expansion is being coupled with a major push in human resources and institutional capacity. Over the past two years, the government has hired 26,615 teaching and non-teaching personnel, and CM Shri Majhi committed to recruiting an additional 45,000 teachers over the next three years.
Furthermore, the state has opened 18 new government colleges in rural areas and plans to establish four new universities. Together, these combined measures of absolute fee waivers, rural college expansion, and aggressive teacher hiring are positioned to reshape the academic landscape, with the ultimate goal of establishing Odisha as the primary hub for higher education in Eastern India.