Odisha approves ₹394 crore scheme for free Wi-Fi in 601 colleges
The Odisha Shikshanet programme will provide up to 1 GB of daily internet data to students and faculty members.
The Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on Monday approved the 'Odisha Shikshanet' scheme to provide free, secure, and high-speed Wi-Fi to 601 government and aided colleges. According to Business Standard, the flagship programme has a total outlay of ₹393.62 crore and will be implemented between the 2026-27 and 2028-29 financial years.
The initiative aims to benefit more than six lakh students and faculty members, with a focus on those in remote, rural, and economically disadvantaged areas. Chief Secretary Anu Garg said every authenticated student will be entitled to up to 1 GB of free internet data per day on the college campus.
The facility is intended to help users access e-books, digital libraries, virtual classrooms, research databases, and competitive examination materials. It will also support digital government services such as the Student Academic Management System (SAMS) and the Higher Education Information Management System (HIMS).
This expansion builds on a first phase that already provided connectivity to 130 colleges. The project includes installing Wi-Fi infrastructure, managing bandwidth, ensuring cybersecurity, and providing ongoing maintenance support.
A centralised monitoring dashboard will be established to track network performance, security, and usage. The scheme is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 and Digital India initiatives to strengthen the state's digital higher education ecosystem.