Odisha approves Rs 393.62 crore free Wi-Fi scheme for 601 colleges
The Odisha Shikshanet programme will provide up to 1GB of daily internet data to students and faculty from the 2026-27 financial year.
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 connectivity to 601 government and aided colleges. According to The New Indian Express, the programme has a total outlay of Rs 393.62 crore and will be implemented over three years from 2026-27 to 2028-29.
The initiative aims to benefit more than six lakh students and faculty members. Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the facility will allow authenticated students to receive up to 1GB of free internet data per day on campus for academic work, research, and skill development.
Garg noted that the scheme builds on an earlier phase that provided Wi-Fi to 130 colleges. The new expansion is intended to support students in rural, remote, and economically weaker sections by providing access to digital libraries, virtual classrooms, research databases, and e-governance services like the Student Academic Management System (SAMS).
The project includes the installation of Wi-Fi infrastructure, bandwidth provisioning, network management, cybersecurity, and maintenance support. A centralised monitoring dashboard will be established to track service delivery, network security, uptime, and usage.
The scheme is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Digital India. Implementation is scheduled to begin from the 2026-27 financial year.