Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has provided significant support to economically disadvantaged and high-achieving students from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) backgrounds, permitting them to gain admission into government medical and engineering institutions without the need to pay tuition and other fees upfront.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced this initiative in response to concerns regarding capable students from low-income families facing difficulties in gathering funds during the crucial admission phase, even after successfully passing the competitive NEET examination.

Under this new policy, eligible poor students from SC and ST categories who have been accepted into government medical and engineering colleges will not be required to pay their fees at the time of admission or for a duration of six months thereafter. Instead, they can make these payments after they receive their scholarship funds, as stated by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

Typically, students from these communities are entitled to scholarships from both the central and state governments. However, the process for approving and distributing these scholarships can often take between three to four months. This delay between admission and the arrival of scholarship funds has posed a significant financial challenge for students from low-income backgrounds.

The state government plans to release detailed guidelines shortly, outlining the eligibility criteria and procedures for utilizing this fee deferment option.