Odisha CM announces free education from KG to PG in govt. institutions

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday (June 12, 2026) announced that education from kindergarten (KG) to postgraduate (PG) level in all government institutions in Odisha would be made completely free.

Addressing a press conference on the occasion of the Bharatiya Janata Party government completing two years in the State, Mr. Majhi said, “Our government is committed to making education truly free and universal. Therefore, I announce that education from KG to PG level will be completely free of cost.”

The Chief Minister said the initiative would benefit all students in the State, particularly those from economically weaker sections and girls.

Food scheme soon

In another announcement, Mr. Majhi said the government would launch the Chief Minister Annapurna Yojana to strengthen food security. Under the scheme, all beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act and the State Food Security Scheme would receive an additional 5 kg of rice per month free of cost.

“As a result, every beneficiary will receive 10 kg of rice free of cost every month. The scheme will benefit 3.28 crore beneficiaries, covering about 80 per cent of the State’s population. The State government will spend ₹8,813 crore annually on this programme,” he said.

In the education sector, Mr. Majhi said the government had taken two historic steps: implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which he said had been pending due to political reasons, and establishment of Godabarish Mishra Model Primary Schools in every panchayat. He said that out of 2,200 schools planned in the first phase, foundation stones had been laid for 322. Over the last two years, 26,615 teaching and non-teaching staff have been recruited, he said, adding that 45,000 more teachers would be recruited over three years.