Free Education in Odisha: CM Mohan Charan Majhi Launches Free KG to PG Scheme for Govt Students

In a major policy decision aimed at reforming the state's educational landscape, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced free education for students from kindergarten (KG) to post-graduate (PG) levels across all government-run schools, colleges, and universities.

The announcement was made during a press conference in the state capital, marking the completion of two years of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in office. Chief Minister Majhi characterized the initiative as a landmark step toward making quality education universally accessible and removing financial barriers for students. OpenAI Partners with Malta to Provide Free ChatGPT Plus Access to Every Citizen.

According to state officials, the primary objective of the scheme is to ensure complete academic continuity without the burden of tuition fees. The policy is expected to directly benefit lakhs of students across Odisha, particularly targeting girls, students from economically weaker sections (EWS), and those residing in rural and tribal regions.

Addressing the media, Chief Minister Majhi stated that his government is making education from KG to PG completely free of cost in order to make learning truly free and universal. He noted that Odisha is likely the first state in the country to implement such a comprehensive, multi-tiered free education model at this scale.

Scope and Implementation Context

The policy will apply extensively across Odisha’s public education network. The state currently operates more than 50,000 government and government-aided schools, alongside hundreds of public colleges and state universities. The state administration noted that the universal fee waiver is intended to improve both student enrollment and long-term retention rates, addressing a critical bottleneck where socio-economically disadvantaged students frequently drop out between high school and higher education due to rising costs. IndiaAI Mission: MeitY Launches ‘YUVA AI for ALL’, a Free National Course to Help Everyone Understand Artificial Intelligence.

Broad Developmental Focus

The educational mandate forms part of a broader welfare rollout highlighted during the government's two-year milestone address. Alongside the free education policy, the administration outlined several other ongoing public welfare targets, including a plan to provide permanent houses to 37 lakh beneficiaries.

The Chief Minister also emphasized infrastructure developments, such as the recent expansion of the Godabarish Mishra Model Primary School Scheme, which plans the eventual development of 2,200 model schools using modern learning technologies. Furthermore, the state has recruited over 26,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel over the last two years, with a stated roadmap to appoint an additional 45,000 educators within the next three years.

State budget allocations and the specific timeline for the operational rollout of the fee-waiver scheme across various departments are expected to be detailed by official administrative notifications in the coming weeks.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 12, 2026 05:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).