Odisha Cabinet Approves Shiksha Net Scheme to Provide Free Wi-Fi

The Odisha Cabinet has approved the Shiksha Net Scheme, providing free daily high-speed Wi-Fi to students and staff across over 750 higher educational institutions, aiming to boost digital learning resources throughout the state.

Odisha Shiksha Net Scheme Launched

The Odisha Cabinet has approved the Odisha Shiksha Net Scheme to provide free Wi-Fi facilities across more than 750 higher educational institutions in the state, including government and aided colleges and universities, Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said. The scheme will provide students, teachers and employees with 1 GB of free internet data per day at a speed of 200 Mbps, with the facility accessible across institutional campuses.

"The Odisha Cabinet has approved the Odisha Shiksha Net Scheme, under which free Wi-Fi facilities will be provided across all higher education institutions in the state, including government and aided colleges and universities. The facility will be available to all students, teachers and employees of these institutions," Suraj said.

Scheme Expansion and Educational Impact

The Minister said the scheme was initially implemented on an experimental basis in 130 institutions and was successfully carried out. It will now be expanded to more than 600 additional institutions, taking the total coverage to over 750 institutions.

"Each student and user will receive 1 GB of data per day, with an internet speed of 200 Mbps. The facility will be accessible across the campuses of colleges and other institutions. The Cabinet has approved a total allocation of Rs 393 crore for the scheme," he said.

Suraj said the initiative would enable students and faculty members to access digital educational resources, including e-libraries, e-learning platforms and e-journals, helping strengthen digital learning infrastructure across the state. According to the Cabinet approval, the Odisha Shikshanet scheme has been sanctioned with an outlay of Rs 393.62 crore and will provide free Wi-Fi connectivity to students across 601 government and aided colleges.

Broader Administrative and Development Approvals

Apart from the education initiative, the Odisha Cabinet also approved several proposals concerning civil services recruitment, grassroots administration, livestock development, irrigation and agricultural procurement.

In a significant decision concerning government recruitment, the Cabinet approved the removal of the limit on the number of attempts for eligible candidates appearing in the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) Examination, providing them with greater opportunities to compete for state civil services. It also approved amendments to facilitate the direct recruitment of 19 Assistant Town Planners through the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), with revised age and educational criteria.

The Cabinet further cleared the restructuring of the Panchayat Executive Officers cadre, creating a restructured cadre of 3,294 posts to strengthen grassroots administration and provide improved career progression opportunities. In the livestock sector, it approved the Odisha Bovine Breeding (Regulation) Bill, 2026, to establish a regulatory framework for scientific breeding, quality assurance and traceability of breeding services.

Infrastructure and Procurement Projects

On irrigation and water management, the Cabinet approved seven mega lift irrigation schemes in Nuapada district at an execution cost of Rs 268.22 crore. The projects are expected to create irrigation potential across 8,800 hectares covering 59 villages. It also cleared an in-stream storage project near Patharla village in Balangir district at an estimated cost of Rs 99.99 crore, aimed at ensuring water supply to 12 villages and supporting local livelihoods. The Kursud In-stream Storage Project on the Indra River in Balangir district was separately approved at a cost of Rs 81.36 crore. It is expected to benefit 17 drought-prone villages across Titilagarh and Bangomunda blocks.

The Cabinet also approved the Food and Paddy Procurement Policy for the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2026-27, setting a procurement target of 53 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice, equivalent to approximately 78 LMT of paddy. Under the policy, farmers will receive Rs 3,100 per quintal, including the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and input assistance.

The decisions were announced following the Odisha Cabinet meeting, with the Chief Minister's Office highlighting the proposals as measures aimed at expanding opportunities, strengthening governance and improving public services across the state.

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