Balasore: Both the Central and State Governments offer a variety of scholarship schemes to support economically disadvantaged and meritorious students, helping them focus on education and pursue higher studies. These scholarships have enabled many students to continue their education. However, due to lack of awareness, many eligible students miss out on these benefits.
Although thousands of poor students benefit from these schemes, due to limited publicity, many remain unaware and fail to apply. As per available data, there are 40 hostels under the SC/ST Department and 5 hostels under the Mass Education Department in the district. Among students receiving scholarships, around 60% come from poor or middle-class backgrounds, yet many are still unable to continue their studies.
Typically, the government provides scholarships from school to college level. In addition, there are special scholarships for those pursuing higher education. In Odisha, schemes like:
Biju Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana
Junior Merit Scholarship
Gopabandhu Education Assistance Scheme
Senior Merit Scholarship
Nirman Shramik Kalyan Yojana
Post-Matric Scholarship
e-Medhabruti
Shaheed Madho Singh Scholarship
NRTS Scholarship
are offered to support students. For many students in the district, these scholarships have become a vital means to continue education.
Unfortunately, many students miss the application deadlines because they are unaware of the schemes. In some cases, even when they try to apply, they fail to submit the required documents due to lack of proper information. Also, mistakes by Jan Seva Kendra (Common Service Centre) staff, such as issuing incorrect certificates, have led to application rejections, causing disappointment among students.
To address this issue, there is an urgent need for intensified awareness campaigns in schools and colleges, led by the district administration and state government. If the awareness drive is accelerated, many more students can benefit from these schemes.
In student feedback, they stated that delays in scholarship disbursement by both Central and State Governments have created another problem. Although schools and colleges have reopened for the academic year, many students in the district have not yet received their scholarships, which has caused frustration among students and parents.
Despite these challenges, around 1.35 lakh students in the district received scholarships during 2024–25, including:
Pre-matric scholarships for Class 9 and 10,
Shaheed Madho Singh scholarships for Classes 9, 10, and 11,
Post-matric scholarships for Class 11 students,
Scholarships under the Gopabandhu Education Assistance Scheme for higher education students.
Out of the total recipients:
9,494 were from ST category,
19,147 from SC category,
36,863 from OBC/SEBC,
2,896 from EBC.
Officials say that if more awareness is created, even more students could benefit.
An interaction with DWO Bidyut Lata Mahapatra revealed that all information related to scholarships is available on the OSSP (Odisha State Scholarship Portal). Students can apply directly through the portal. Once they apply, the department forwards the data to the concerned officers, who then credit the scholarships directly to the students’ bank accounts. “We act only as a facilitating agency,” she said.