Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi announced free education from KG to PG in all government schools and colleges, aiming to make quality education accessible to all
OdishaPlus Bureau
On Friday, Odisha’s Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi declared that education from kindergarten to postgraduate levels will be provided free of charge in all government schools and colleges.
Majhi emphasized that this initiative would fortify the foundation of the state’s youth and aid in long-term development.
“To ensure that education is genuinely free and accessible to all, my government is announcing the complete elimination of costs for education from KG to PG,” he stated, highlighting that this decision would particularly benefit students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Odisha may become the first state in India to implement such an extensive free education policy,” he mentioned during a media briefing, while also noting that the primary challenge lies in delivering quality education.
Odisha is home to 25 state universities, along with other universities that fall under the jurisdiction of the state government.
Majhi also noted that the state has already put the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 into action and has initiated an ambitious project to establish Godabarish Mishra Adarsha Primary Schools in every panchayat. In the first phase, 2,200 schools are planned, with foundation stones already laid for 322. He added that an additional 45,000 teachers will be recruited over the next three years, supplementing the 26,615 teaching and non-teaching staff already in place.
Majhi stated that the former Biju Janata Dal administration failed to implement substantial reforms in the education sector, focusing instead on superficial enhancements such as repainting school facilities.
Additionally, Majhi announced the initiation of the Chief Minister Annapurna Yojana, which will provide all beneficiaries of the NFSA and SFSS schemes with an extra 5 kg of rice each month at no cost. Consequently, each beneficiary will now receive a total of 10 kg of rice free of charge monthly. This initiative is expected to assist 3.28 crore beneficiaries, representing nearly 80% of the state’s population. The state government plans to allocate ₹8,813 crore annually for this program.
Majhi mentioned that the state government has rolled out 121 schemes in the past two years, which he believes have significantly advanced the goal of creating a prosperous Odisha. Under the Subhadra Yojana, he noted that over ₹20,600 crore has been distributed to more than 1 crore women aged 21 to 60 in the last two years. He also highlighted that over four lakh self-help groups have received bank loans totaling ₹38,795 crore, and 23.5 lakh women have achieved the status of ‘Lakhpati Didis’.
Regarding law and order, Majhi claimed that Odisha is now devoid of Maoist violence and reported notable improvements in criminal justice outcomes. He indicated that the conviction rate for crimes against women has surged from 6.7 percent in 2023 to 62 percent by June 2025. Following the enactment of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the overall conviction rate in the state has risen to 87.6 percent. Furthermore, he added that more than 21,000 new police positions have been established to enhance law enforcement.
