BHUBANESWAR: The state cabinet on Monday approved the ‘Odisha Shikshanet’ scheme to provide free, secure and high-speed WiFi connectivity to 601 government and aided colleges with a total outlay of Rs 393.63 crore over a period of three years from 2026-27 to 2028-29.
The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi approved the implementation of the flagship scheme following which every student will receive up to 1 GB of free internet data per day within the campus for academic, research and skill development purposes.
Chief secretary Anu Garg told mediapersons that the initiative is expected to benefit over six lakh students and faculty members across government and aided higher educational institutions, particularly those from rural, remote and economically weaker sections, by bridging the digital divide and promoting equitable access to quality higher education.
The chief secretary said this will build upon the successful phase-I implementation of the scheme in 130 colleges. The project includes installation of WiFi infrastructure, bandwidth provisioning, network management, cyber security and operation and maintenance support. A centralised monitoring dashboard will ensure efficient service delivery, network security, uptime and optimal utilisation, she added.
Besides, the facility will support access to e-books, digital libraries, virtual classrooms, SWAYAM and other massive online open courses (MOOCs), research databases, competitive examination resources, digital skill development platforms and e-governance services such as SAMS, HIMS.
Garg said aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Digital India, SDGs 4, 9 and 10, and Odisha Vision-2036, the scheme will strengthen the state’s digital higher education ecosystem and contribute towards building a Viksit Odisha and Viksit Bharat.
In another decision, the cabinet approved the food and paddy procurement policy for kharif marketing season 2026-27, fixing procurement target of 78 lakh tonne of paddy which will be 53 lakh tonne of rice. The chief secretary said farmers will receive Rs 3,100 per quintal, including MSP and input assistance. The payment will be credited to the farmers’ Aadhaar-linked bank accounts through NCPI within 24-48 hours of purchase.
Another highlight of the policy is that it extends registration and procurement to eligible sharecroppers through structured digital consent and biometric/mobile authentication for landowners.
The cabinet also approved the construction of 600 MW Upper Indravati pumped storage project through Odisha Hydro Power Corporation Limited at Ranibahal in Kalahandi district at a cost of Rs 4,708.64 crore.