Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to waive admission fees for students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities enrolling in government medical and engineering colleges in the state, officials said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi issued the direction on Monday after being informed that several meritorious SC and ST students who had cleared competitive entrance examinations were facing financial difficulties while securing admission.
According to an official release, eligible students will not be required to deposit fees at the time of admission and will also receive relief from admission-related payments for six months following their enrolment.
The decision is aimed at ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent students who have qualified for professional courses from completing the admission process.
For many students from economically weaker backgrounds, the expenses associated with admission can pose an immediate challenge even after they successfully clear highly competitive entrance examinations.
The fee waiver will apply to government medical and engineering colleges in Odisha. However, the state government has not yet specified the complete range of fees that will be covered under the arrangement.
Detailed guidelines regarding the implementation of the decision are expected to be issued by the state government shortly.
