BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday launched a dedicated portal to enable meritorious students to apply and avail scholarships within a specified time frame. The new portal will benefit more than 11 lakh students. Launching the new portal www.scholarship.odisha.gov.in (http://www.scholarship.odisha.gov.in) under the 5T initiative, the Chief Minister said that now students will no longer have to apply for scholarships through portals of different departments.
Stating that 21 student scholarships are being provided by six departments, he said that the new portal will enable aspiring and deserving students to apply for a scholarship from the comfort of their homes and avail it within a time frame.The Chief Minister said that the new portal will manage the scholarship programmes of the ST and SC Development, Higher Education, School and Mass Education, Labour and ESI, Skill Development and Technical Education and Agriculture departments.
As the portal is linked to the state treasury, the scholarship money will be directly credited to the bank accounts of the students.Minister of State for ST and SC Development Jagannath Saraka said that more than six lakh students get scholarships through the department.Chief Advisor of Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) R Balaskrishnan, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, Development Commissioner Suresh Mohapatra, 5T Secretary VK Pandian and senior officials were present.
‘Sumangal’ to promote inter-caste marriage
The Chief Minister also launched a new portal ‘Sumangal’ to facilitate inter-caste marriage in Odisha on Tuesday. Naveen said that inter-caste marriage brings unity among different castes, strengthens the social fabric of the society, reduces caste discrimination and ensures social equality and peace. The Sumangal portal will help the beneficiaries of inter-caste marriage avail incentive of `2.5 lakh within 60 days, he said.