Bhubaneswar, 11 July (H.S.): The Odisha government will soon issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to streamline the admission process from kindergarten (KG) to postgraduate (PG) courses and eliminate confusion among educational institutions, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj announced on Saturday.

The Minister said the SOP will provide clear guidelines for implementing the state government's recently approved decisions on KG-to-PG admissions, ensuring a transparent, uniform, and hassle-free admission process across educational institutions.

In a major relief for aided colleges, the Minister announced that institutions under the 662 and 488 categories will receive financial assistance from the state government. Under the new policy, fees that were previously borne by students will now be paid by the government. However, the benefits will not extend to self-financing institutions and professional course colleges.

Suraj said the Higher Education Department will also issue detailed guidelines to address concerns raised by colleges regarding staff salaries, maintenance grants, and other administrative matters.

A special SOP will be issued to all colleges for the implementation of the Cabinet's decisions on KG-to-PG admissions. The SOP will also remove any ambiguity regarding financial assistance, staff salaries, and maintenance support for eligible colleges, the Minister said.

Highlighting the government's education reforms, Suraj stated that Odisha is set to become the first state in the country to provide free education from KG to PG. He added that the policy would be implemented in a phased manner after extensive consultations with stakeholders, including college principals, parents, and students.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda