Bhubaneswar, 12 June (H.S.) : Marking two years in office, the Odisha government on Friday announced a landmark education reform declaring that education from Kindergarten (KG) to Postgraduate (PG) level will be made completely free in the state.

Chief Minister, addressing a press conference, said the initiative is aimed at making education “truly free and universal,” ensuring equal access for all students, particularly those from economically weaker sections and girls. He added that the reform is intended to make quality education accessible to every household and significantly expand higher education opportunities across the state.

The Chief Minister highlighted that several key reforms have already been undertaken in the education sector over the past two years. These include the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the rollout of the Godabarish Mishra Adarsha Primary School initiative, under which model primary schools are being established in every panchayat. Out of 2,200 proposed schools in the first phase, foundation stones have already been laid for 322 institutions.

The government also reported significant progress in staffing, stating that 26,615 teachers and non-teaching staff have been recruited over the past two years. In addition, the state plans to recruit 45,000 more teachers over the next three years to strengthen the education system further.

In the higher education sector, the state government announced plans to establish four new universities in the current budget and open 18 new government colleges in remote and underserved regions. These initiatives are aimed at expanding access to quality higher education and reducing regional disparities.

The Chief Minister stated that the government’s long-term vision is to position Odisha as a leading hub for higher education in eastern India. He further claimed that with this initiative, Odisha could become the first state in the country to implement completely free education from KG to PG.

Officials said the policy is expected to significantly reduce the financial burden on families and strengthen human resource development in the state over the coming years.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda