28 minutes ago
Recognising the role of digital access in improving the quality and reach of education, the Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on Monday evening approved a new scheme to provide free, secure and high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity to all government and aided colleges across the state over the next three years.
The flagship scheme, titled 'Odisha Shikshanet – Empowering Students through a Free Wi-Fi Internet Facility to all Colleges and Universities', will be implemented between 2026-27 and 2028-29, with a total outlay of ₹393.62 crore.
The scheme is expected to extend the benefits of digital education to more than six lakh students and faculty members, with particular emphasis on students studying in rural, remote and economically disadvantaged areas who may not have access to reliable internet facilities at home.
Anu Garg, Chief Secretary, said every authenticated student would be entitled to up to 1 GB of free internet data per day within the college campus under the scheme.
"The facility will enable students to access e-books, digital libraries, online lectures, virtual classrooms, research databases, competitive examination materials and various online courses without having to depend entirely on personal mobile data or paid internet connections," she said.
The initiative builds upon the first phase of Odisha Shikshanet, under which Wi-Fi connectivity has already been provided to 130 colleges. The expansion to 601 government and aided colleges will substantially increase the geographical coverage of the programme and make digital learning infrastructure accessible to a much larger section of the student population.
The project involves the installation of Wi-Fi infrastructure, bandwidth provisioning, network management, cybersecurity arrangements and operation and maintenance support. A centralised monitoring dashboard will be established to monitor network performance, service availability, security and utilisation.
Officials said the facility would also support the use of digital government services, including the Student Academic Management System (SAMS), Higher Education Information Management System (HIMS) and scholarship portals. This could improve students' ability to complete admission-related formalities, track academic records, apply for scholarships and access other higher education services without depending on cybercafes or external internet facilities.
One of the major objectives of the scheme is to address the digital divide between students studying in urban and rural institutions. While students in cities have access to broadband connections, personal laptops and smartphones, many students in smaller towns and remote areas continue to face constraints in accessing digital learning resources.
According to the Cabinet decision, the initiative will help strengthen the digital higher education ecosystem by expanding access to academic resources and technology-enabled learning. Its implementation is aligned with the Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Digital India and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
Before Odisha, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Rajasthan and Kerala had already implemented similar initiatives. Bihar has introduced the Saat Nischay programme, specifically the 'Free Wi-Fi Connectivity in all Universities and Colleges' component of the Aarthik Hal, Yuvaon Ko Bal initiative.
As part of the scheme, students can access up to 1 GB of internet data daily for downloading study materials and other academic resources. The scheme was designed to improve the educational environment, promote digital literacy and connect young people, particularly those in rural areas, with information and educational opportunities.
Rajasthan has also provided free Wi-Fi facilities in government colleges to improve access to digital educational content and encourage students to pursue massive open online courses. Kerala, meanwhile, operates its K-Fi public Wi-Fi programme across nearly 2,000 public locations, although it is not an equivalent dedicated higher education scheme.
