Bhubaneswar, 12th Aug 2025: The School and Mass Education Department has expressed its commitment to prevent dropouts and is actively working to reopen schools that were previously closed for various reasons. The department has started the process of surveying closed schools at the district level, said Education Minister Nityananda Gand.
During the BJD government’s previous tenure, many schools were closed. While approval was given for the merger of 7,751 schools, 5,630 schools were actually merged. Due to mergers in nearby schools, many schools were locked. This month, 46 schools have been reopened, and the state is currently conducting a survey to identify more schools for reopening.
Schools in tribal-dominated areas with more than 20 students and schools in other areas with over 40 students will be considered for reopening. After proposals for reopening come in, district-level inspections will be conducted and reports submitted to the state. Based on the survey and according to established criteria, a decision will be made regarding the reopening of the schools.
Complaints have come from about 160 areas, and after verification, permission will be granted to reopen the schools. This initiative is expected to help prevent dropouts. The department is focused on educational development through these measures.
Additionally, about 3 lakh Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students of classes IX and XI receive an annual financial assistance of ₹5,000 under the Shaheed Madho Singh Hath Kharch scheme. After providing this aid, the number of students from these categories has increased.
Meanwhile, in various government educational institutions across the state, student numbers are declining. To address this, a child tracking survey is being conducted. Based on the survey data, the department will plan corrective measures, stated Minister Gand.