Bhubaneswar: In a major relief for meritorious students from economically weaker sections of the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed that they will not be required to deposit admission, tuition or other fees at the time of admission to government medical and engineering colleges.
Under the new directive, eligible SC/ST students will be allowed to defer payment of admission and tuition fees for up to six months after admission. The students can pay the required fees once they receive their scholarship funds from the government.
Many meritorious students from SC and ST communities who clear highly competitive entrance examinations often face financial difficulties at the time of admission. Despite securing seats in professional courses, some students struggle to arrange the money required for admission and other institutional fees.
The Chief Minister’s decision seeks to address this financial hurdle and ensure that lack of immediate funds does not prevent deserving students from pursuing medical and engineering education.
SC/ST students are generally eligible for various scholarships provided by both the Central and State governments. However, the scholarship disbursement process can take around three to four months, creating difficulties for students who are required to make fee payments immediately after securing admission.
With the new arrangement, students will be able to complete their admission without making the initial fee deposit and subsequently pay their admission and tuition fees after receiving their scholarship amounts.
The State Government is expected to issue detailed guidelines for implementation of the decision shortly.
