Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has granted his approval to an initiative aimed at supplying free textbooks to students attending private and non-aided Odia medium schools across the entire state, reports The New Indian Express. Conducted as part of the 5T initiative led by the state government, this endeavour will see an annual allocation of Rs 9.43 crore from the state exchequer to support its implementation.
A press release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) outlined that the scheme for distributing free textbooks will benefit over lakh students of around 3,620 private and non-aided Odia medium schools. Commencing from the academic year 2024-25, students from Classes I to VIII will be provided free textbooks, states TNIE.
According to the report, the introduction of this scheme comes as a response to the impressive academic achievements of students from private Odia medium schools, notably their commendable performance in the annual High School Certificate (HSC) examinations and also their skills in various fields.
Highlighting the inclusive approach of the state government, the release emphasised that this effort aligns with the existing provision of free textbooks to pupils attending government schools within Odisha, as well as to Odia students residing in other states such as West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
