Odisha: No upfront admission fees for SC/ST medical, engg students

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi has directed that poor SC/ST students will not be required to pay tuition and other fees at the time of admission to government medical and engineering colleges, or for six months thereafter, aiding meritorious students.

In a major relief for meritorious students from economically weaker Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed that poor SC and ST students will not be required to deposit tuition and other fees at the time of admission to government medical and engineering colleges, or for six months thereafter, according to an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

New Arrangement to Ease Financial Burden

Under the new arrangement, eligible students will be able to pay their admission and tuition fees conveniently after receiving their scholarship funds from the Central and State Governments. According to the CMO release, meritorious SC and ST students from economically weaker sections often face financial difficulties while seeking admission to government medical and engineering colleges. Despite overcoming various challenges to qualify in competitive examinations, many students lack the necessary financial resources to deposit the required fees at the time of admission.

"These students generally receive various scholarships from both the Central and State Governments. However, the process of receiving scholarship funds takes around 3 to 4 months after the completion of required formalities. Therefore, under the new arrangement, students will be able to deposit their admission and tuition fees conveniently after receiving their scholarship funds," the CMO statement read.

The State Government is expected to issue detailed guidelines regarding the implementation of this directive shortly. (ANI)

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