Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has launched the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) in collaboration with the Union Education Ministry. The scheme has been introduced to boost the higher education landscape in the state in line with the National Education Policy, 2020. The funding structure for the program includes 60 percent of grants from the Centre, with the remaining 40 percent covered by the state.
The key aspects of the scheme are as follows:
- The central government will provide financial assistance of ₹ 500 crore for different higher education institutions across Odisha for infrastructural and other developmental activities.
- The program will aim to upskill one crore students with 21st-century skills and transform Odisha’s state universities into world-class institutions.
- The scheme will focus on curriculum revamping, teacher training, infrastructure development, and improving employability.
- The program will ensure access, equity, and excellence in higher education throughout the state.
According to the Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, the PM-USHA scheme will enable state universities to ramp up their infrastructure and transform into world-class multidisciplinary universities. The Chief Minister of the state, Mohan Charan Manjhi also highlighted the significance of the program and said that it will contribute highly to quality improvement, skill development, and employment generation in the state.
