Odisha state budget 2023-24: Education, skill development sector receives 10% increase

The state budget allocation for education and skill development in Odisha for the year 2023-24 has seen a 10% rise, with an amount of Rs 30,030 crore being allotted for this purpose. This year's budget focuses on providing scholarship aid to students, promoting institutional infrastructure development, and offering skill training to students. Finance Minister of state Niranjan Pujari has introduced two new schemes. First comes Mukhya Mantri Medhabi Chhatrabruti Yojana, which will provide scholarships to meritorious students, under which, 10,000 UG students will get a scholarship amount of Rs 10,000 per annum while 15,000 per year will be given to 5,000 PG students and 10,000 students pursuing technical and professional courses will be extended scholarship of Rs 20,000 every year, and Nutana Unnata Abhilasha Odisha, will train one lakh youngsters in future technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, augmented reality-virtual reality, data science, 3D printing, and more, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

The School and Mass Education department has been allocated an amount of Rs 22,528 crore, with Rs 805 crore proposed for Mo School Abhiyan and Rs 1,000 crore for constructing hostels for boys in Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas.
Mukhyamantri Medhabi Chatra Protsahan Yojana, with an outlay of Rs 811 crore, will offer scholarships to SC and ST students, with 60% of the scholarships being awarded to girls. Additionally, an extra amount of Rs 1,000 per child per annum has been set aside for providing nutrition to ST and SC boarders residing in hostels, which will help improve their overall health and well-being, as reported by The New Indian Express.

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The higher education sector has been allocated an amount of Rs 3,173 crore, with Rs 170 crore for Mo College Abhiyan, Rs 163 crore for infrastructure development and Rs 228 crore for the Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence and Equity.

Furthermore, the budget has also proposed an outlay of Rs 986 crore for skill development and technical education, which is a 22% increase from the previous year's provision. This provision will help develop the skills of the youth and equip them with the necessary knowledge and tools to excel in their chosen fields. With these allocations, the education and skill development sector in Odisha is poised for growth and the youth of the state can look forward to a brighter future, stated The New Indian Express report.

WHAT'S IN STORE
Total education, skill development layout: Rs 30,030 cr

Rs 241 cr for the development of tech institutions

Rs 100 cr for Odisha Skill Development Project

Rs 20 cr for Odia University at Satyabadi

Free bicycle aid for school students to increase from Rs 2,600 to Rs 3,500

Uniform and accessories allowance to be hiked to Rs 1,000

Uniforms for all Class IX & X students in gov't and gov't-aided schools

Exclusive smart learning centres in all high schools by Dec 2023

Exclusive smart learning centres in all high schools by Dec 2023