Odisha approves free Wi-Fi plan for 601 colleges

Odisha’s state cabinet has approved the Odisha Shikshanet scheme, a three-year plan to provide free campus Wi-Fi at 601 government and aided colleges, with authenticated students eligible for up to 1 GB of internet a day. The state government estimates that more than six lakh students and faculty members will benefit.

The scheme is budgeted at about ₹393.62 crore and is scheduled to run from the 2026-27 financial year through 2028-29. One report gave the outlay as ₹393.63 crore. The approval was made at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

Under the plan, students can use the daily data allowance on campus for academic, research and skill-development purposes. The government says the service will support access to e-books, digital libraries, virtual classrooms, SWAYAM and other massive open online courses, research databases, competitive-examination resources and digital-skills platforms. It is also intended to provide access to government services including SAMS and HIMS.

The approved framework includes installation of Wi-Fi infrastructure, bandwidth provision, network management, cybersecurity and ongoing operations and maintenance. A central...