Odisha Govt Releases Guidelines for Shahid Madho Singh Haath Kharcha Yojana

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has issued operational guidelines for the Shahid Madho Singh Haath Kharcha Yojana, designed to address the high dropout rates among Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in Classes 9 and 10 at government and aided schools statewide.

This initiative, spearheaded by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, aims to provide one-time financial assistance of ₹5,000 to eligible ST students.

The resolution from the Odisha SC and ST Development Department highlights a growing enrollment of tribal students at the elementary level; however, significant dropout rates after Class 8 and Class 10 have led to decreased enrollment in Secondary and Higher Secondary education.

To mitigate these challenges and motivate ST students to pursue higher education, the “Shahid Madho Singh Haath Kharcha Yojana” has been introduced. Students transitioning from Class 8 to Class 9 and from Class 10 to Class 11 will receive a one-time incentive of ₹5,000, as outlined in the recent departmental resolution.

Notably, ST students already benefiting from other scholarship programs can still qualify for this incentive under the Shahid Madho Singh scheme. The government believes this financial aid will significantly enhance enrollment rates in Classes 9 and 11 across various government and government-aided institutions.

According to the guidelines, eligible ST students completing Class 8 and Class 10, upon enrolling in Classes 9 and 12, respectively, will receive the ₹5,000 incentive. This amount will be disbursed after enrollment, contingent on the student’s regular attendance. The financial support is intended to assist tribal students with incidental expenses, thereby encouraging their academic pursuits.