The Odisha government has launched a new overseas scholarship programme aimed at supporting Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students who wish to pursue postgraduate and doctoral studies in top global institutions.
The scheme, named ‘Videsh Siksha Bruti’, marks one of the state’s most significant initiatives to expand higher education opportunities for disadvantaged communities.
Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj formally inaugurated the scheme on Wednesday and announced that it will be implemented from the 2025 to 2026 academic year.
He said the initiative is designed to help students from low-income families realise their aspirations of studying abroad at leading universities.
ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION
Suraj said that students belonging to SC and ST categories with an annual family income of Rs 12 lakh or below will be eligible to apply.
To qualify, applicants must have secured admission to postgraduate or PhD programmes at institutions ranked within the Top 200 in the QS World University Rankings.
The minister added that applications for the scholarship will be accepted twice a year, during July–August and December–January. Each year, 50 students will be selected across three broad academic categories.
SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS
Under the new scheme, each selected student will receive financial assistance of up to Rs 25 lakh per year. This will support tuition fees, living expenses and other academic costs during their studies abroad.
Of the 50 annual scholarships, 10 (four PG and six PhD) will be reserved for engineering and technical streams, another 10 (four PG and six PhD) for medical, agriculture, architecture and related technical fields, and 30 (10 PG and 20 PhD) for general higher education.
Suraj said the scheme aims to ensure that Odisha’s talented students from marginalised communities have equal access to world-class education.
OTHER KEY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Alongside the launch of the scholarship programme, the Higher Education Department handed out appointment letters to 34 candidates recruited in Group C and D posts across aided colleges under rehabilitation assistance.
The minister also highlighted a major development for the Odisha State Higher Education Council (OSHEC), which received the official copyright to conduct Academic Performance Audits (APA) of higher educational institutions.
This positions Odisha as the first state in the country to adopt such an academic evaluation system.
Suraj said the APA mechanism will help strengthen academic accountability and enhance the quality of higher education across the state.
