​​​​​​​Bhubaneswar, August 23: The Odisha government has launched the ‘Bidesh Sikhyabruti’ scholarship scheme to provide financial assistance to meritorious students from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities seeking higher education at leading universities abroad.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), 50 students from SC and ST communities will be selected every year under the initiative. The beneficiaries will be eligible to pursue academic programmes at international institutions ranked among theTop 200 in the QS World University Rankings.

Each selected student will receive financial assistance of up to Rs 25 lakh per annum. The scholarship will cover major expenses associated with overseas education, including tuition fees, accommodation, living costs, international travel, medical insurance and other incidental expenses.

The initiative is part of the Odisha government’s broader efforts to expand access to quality education and reduce financial barriers for students from disadvantaged communities.

Earlier in July, Odisha announced that it had become the first state in India to implement a universal free education policy from Kindergarten to Post-Graduation (KG to PG), without restrictions based on caste, income or Below Poverty Line (BPL) status.

Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said on July 14 that the policy was designed to ensure that socioeconomic circumstances do not prevent students from pursuing education.

The free education initiative covers students enrolled in regular courses, while self-financing and public-private partnership courses are excluded from its ambit.

The minister said the primary objective of the policy is to prevent students from dropping out after Class 10 or 12 because of financial difficulties and enable them to continue into higher education.

The government expects the initiative to improve access to higher education and contribute to an increase in the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER)in colleges and universities across the state.

Taken together, the ‘Bidesh Sikhyabruti’ scheme and the universal KG-to-PG free education policy reflect Odisha’s focus on widening educational opportunities and providing financial support to students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.