Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly witnessed uproar on Tuesday as Opposition MLAs from the BJD and Congress staged a walkout, accusing the BJP-led state government of attempting to scrap the Anwesha Yojana, a flagship initiative that facilitates English-medium education for SC and ST students.
ST & SC Development Minister Nityananda Gond clarified that the tenure of the scheme was valid only till the 2024–25 academic year, and it is currently under government review for extension. He denied allegations of discontinuation, stating that a five-year review was mandatory.
Launched in 2015 by the previous BJD government, the Anwesha Yojana provides full financial support for SC and ST students from disadvantaged backgrounds to study in English-medium private schools in urban areas. The government bears the cost of tuition fees, uniforms, books, transportation, accommodation, and nutrition.
Initiating the debate, Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam said it was “shocking” that a government headed by a tribal Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, was allegedly denying rights and opportunities to tribal and Dalit children.
“The BJP government has stopped a scheme that created hope among tribals and Dalits. This reflects a ‘Manuwadi’ mindset aimed at keeping these communities marginalised,” Kadam alleged. He noted that tribals and Dalits constitute nearly 40% of Odisha’s population, and expectations were high under a tribal-led government.
Supporting the Congress, BJD MLA Ganeswar Behera said the dropout rate in Odisha had reduced significantly—from 33% in 2021–22 to 18.1% in 2023–24—due to initiatives like the Anwesha Yojana. “The Chief Minister has repeatedly spoken about quality education for tribal students. How does denying admission to English-medium schools align with that promise?” he asked.
Responding to the Opposition’s accusations, Minister Gond said 20,473 students across 17 districts are currently benefiting from the scheme in hostels and English-medium schools. However, he confirmed that no new admissions were made in 2025–26 pending the scheduled review.
The Minister highlighted several other measures introduced by the BJP government to support tribal and Dalit students, including the Madho Singh Hata Kharcha scheme to reduce dropouts, enhanced scholarships, increased enrolment in Ekalavya Model Residential Schools, and expanded state-run residential institutions.
As the Minister reiterated that the scheme was under active consideration, Opposition members remained unconvinced and walked out of the House in protest.
