Odisha approves ₹393.62 crore free Wi-Fi scheme for 601 colleges
The initiative aims to provide high-speed internet to students and faculty members across government and aided institutions over three years.
The Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved a new scheme on Monday to provide free, secure, and high-speed Wi-Fi to 601 government and aided colleges across the state. According to Business Standard, the programme, titled 'Odisha Shikshanet – Empowering Students through a Free Wi-Fi Internet Facility to all Colleges and Universities', has a total outlay of ₹393.62 crore.
The project will be implemented between the 2026-27 and 2028-29 financial years. It is intended to support over six lakh faculty members and students, with a focus on those in remote, rural, or economically disadvantaged areas.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg stated that every authenticated student will receive up to 1 GB of free internet data per day on the college campus. She said the facility would allow students to use digital libraries, e-books, virtual classrooms, and research databases without relying on personal mobile data.
The scheme will also facilitate access to digital government services such as the Student Academic Management System (SAMS), the Higher Education Information Management System (HIMS), and various scholarship portals. This is intended to help students complete academic formalities and track records without needing cybercafes.
The initiative builds on a first phase that already provided connectivity to 130 colleges. The new rollout includes installing Wi-Fi infrastructure, managing bandwidth, ensuring cybersecurity, and providing maintenance support. A centralised dashboard will be used to monitor network performance and security.