On Monday, March 13, the School and Mass Education Minister, Samir Ranjan Dash, announced that the Odisha government has allocated a budget of Rs 1,045 crore for the 2023-24 fiscal year to hire 51,535 teaching and non-teaching staff, to improve the school education system. During his post-budget briefing, the minister added that the state government has also given considerable attention to the improvement of school infrastructure, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
The recruitment drive will involve hiring 702 post-graduate teachers for Higher Secondary Schools; 1,543 teachers for fully aided higher secondary schools through SSB; 7,540 TGTs for government high schools; 6,025 Leave & Training Reserve (LTR) teachers for high schools; 2,064 TGTs for fully aided schools; 20,000 recruits at the primary level; 1,799 hires for various non-teaching roles in DEO, BEO offices, and high schools; and 10,412 watch and ward posts in 5T schools with the involvement of self-help group (SHG) members.
"We have girls' hostels in all Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas (OAVs). However, boys' hostels have been set up in 76 OAVs so far. In 2023-24, we will set up 237 more boys hostels in OAVs for which Rs 1,014 crore budget has been set aside," Dash said. In addition, the SME Minister informed that 106 high schools across the state will be transformed into higher secondary schools during the 2023-24 fiscal year. The budget has also included a provision of Rs 138.97 crore under Mukhyamantri Siksha Puraskar for scholarships to 71,618 outstanding students, recognition of 1,869 best-performing teachers and awards for 2,367 top schools, three exceptional districts, 10 outstanding blocks, and 414 GPs, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
"A total of 419 School Management Committees and 419 alumni will also get Mukhyamantri Sikhya Puraskar," the minister said. SME secretary Aswathy S said, "Rs 100 crore additional budget has been made for school transformation. The high schools across the state will be given a big push, in terms of education infrastructure," she said. The SME secretary said, "Rs 130 crore has been allocated towards the provision of engaging services of Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs) for watch and ward and housekeeping, while Rs 10 crore has been allocated for the 'Paradarshi Portal' to facilitate the admission of financially disadvantaged students to private educational institutions," stated The New Indian Express report.