Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has approved the construction of 235 new hostels for tribal and other backward class students, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development Minister Nityanand Gond announced on Thursday.
The minister made the announcement while addressing the inaugural session of the three-day state-level ‘Sargiful’ festival, organised by the Academy of Tribal Language and Culture under the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development, Minority and Backwards Classes Welfare Department.
Highlighting the department’s initiatives, Gond said more than 5.5 lakh students are currently enrolled in 1,765 educational institutions and 5,963 hostels across the state. The newly approved hostels will further strengthen access to education and residential facilities for ST and OBC students, he added.
Under the Madho Singh Haath Kharcha Scheme, incentive amounts are being provided to students studying in Classes IX and XI. The minister also said that enhanced pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for SC and ST students are expected to significantly boost educational development and retention rates.
Describing Sargiful as a celebration of talent and creativity, Gond said the festival instils hope and joy among children and serves as a powerful platform to identify, nurture and showcase the hidden talents of SC and ST students. He expressed confidence that many of the participants have the potential to represent Odisha at higher platforms and excel in diverse fields.
In his welcome address, SC and ST Development Secretary B. Parameswaran said students and teachers from Ashram Schools, Sevashram Schools, High Schools, Residential Schools and Eklavya Model Residential Schools from all 30 districts of Odisha are participating in the festival. He noted that the event provides equal learning and exposure opportunities for both students and teachers.
On the inaugural day, 10 meritorious SC/ST students who performed exceptionally well in the 2025 Class X board examinations were felicitated.
The Sargiful festival has been organised annually since 2010, beginning at the school, block and district levels before culminating at the state level, with the objective of promoting cultural expression, confidence and holistic development among tribal and SC students.
