Bhubaneswar, 12 August (H.S.) : The Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha, has announced that the National Rural Talent Scholarship (NRTS) Examination 2026 will be conducted on September 22 across the state. The Board has also invited online applications from eligible Class IX students enrolled in recognised schools.

The application process commenced on August 11 and will remain open until August 20. As per a notification issued by the Board, the scholarship examination is aimed at identifying academically meritorious students from rural areas and providing financial assistance to help them continue their secondary education.

Students studying in Class IX during the 2026-27 academic session are eligible to apply. However, applications will be accepted only through the Headmasters or Headmistresses of recognised high schools. Schools have been directed to complete the online registration process through the official BSE Odisha website, where detailed application guidelines are also available.

The application fee has been fixed at Rs 100 per candidate, which must be deposited in accordance with the payment procedure prescribed by the Board.

Admit cards will be made available for download from September 17. Candidates have been advised to carefully verify all details mentioned on their admit cards before appearing for the examination.

The NRTS examination will be held from 10 am to 12 noon on September 22 at designated centres across Odisha. The examination will consist of a single composite paper covering MIL, Mathematics, General Science and Social Science. Based on the Class VIII syllabus, each section will carry 25 marks, making the total marks 100.

The examination will consist entirely of multiple-choice questions. Candidates will have to mark their answers on an OMR sheet by darkening the appropriate option from the four choices provided.

Students selected under the scholarship scheme will receive Rs 250 per month for 24 months, subject to satisfactory academic performance during Classes IX and X.

The NRTS scholarship is one of BSE Odisha’s initiatives to identify and encourage talented students from rural backgrounds while providing financial support to help them pursue their secondary education.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda