Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj announced the Standard Operating Procedure for the Gyanodaya–Shiksharu Samruddhi scheme on Tuesday, spelling out fee guidelines, eligibility norms and the responsibilities of educational institutions under the initiative. The scheme provides a complete waiver of admission fees for students enrolled in regular courses at government and government-aided institutions, covering Classes IX to XII in schools, along with undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at government colleges, government-aided colleges and State Public Universities.

According to the SOP, students who have already paid admission fees for the coming academic session will get full refunds credited directly to their bank accounts. To keep institutions financially stable through the transition, the government will reimburse colleges in phases — 10 percent of the fee amount after admission, another 15 percent in a second instalment, and the remaining 75 percent spread across three equal tranches over the academic year. Suraj said the structure is designed to ensure colleges aren't allowed to raise fees arbitrarily while the scheme takes effect.

Eligibility comes with one significant condition: students must maintain at least 75 percent attendance to continue receiving the benefit, though the SOP allows relaxation down to 65 percent under exceptional circumstances. The scheme's scope has clear boundaries too — professional and technical courses, self-financing programmes, private unaided institutions and PPP-mode institutions all fall outside its coverage, as do hostel charges and examination fees.

The scheme itself was approved by the Odisha Cabinet on July 1, as part of a broader set of 12 proposals spanning eight government departments. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi described the decision at the time as a historic step toward ensuring no child in Odisha is denied education due to financial hardship, framing it as the fulfilment of a commitment he'd made publicly in June when his government completed two years in office. Odisha had already made education free from Kindergarten through Class VIII; this scheme extends that commitment through postgraduate level for the first time.

The state government expects the initiative to benefit more than 32 lakh students annually, with an estimated yearly cost of around ₹895 crore and a projected five-year expenditure of roughly ₹5,467 crore. Officials have framed the scheme as part of a broader push to raise Odisha's Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to 60 percent, in line with targets set under the National Education Policy 2020 and the state's own long-term development goals for 2036 and 2047.

The scheme takes effect from the 2026-27 academic session, with the Higher Education and School & Mass Education Departments expected to issue further institution-level guidance as implementation begins.