Odisha Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Odisha Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme is a scholarship initiative of the Government of Odisha under the Mukhyamantri Medhabi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana (MMCPY). The scheme provides financial assistance to meritorious students belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities of Odisha so they can pursue postgraduate or Ph.D. studies at eligible foreign universities. The scheme aims to reduce financial barriers and improve access to international higher education for students from disadvantaged communities.

Under the Videsh Shiksha Bruti Scheme, eligible SC and ST students of Odisha can get financial support of up to ₹25 lakh per year to study at a foreign institute or university that features in the Top 200 QS World Rankings at the time of application. The support covers tuition fees, living expenses, and miscellaneous costs like travel, insurance, and visa charges, with an overall ceiling of ₹50 lakh per student across the full course. Every year, the scheme supports 50 students in total, split across engineering and technical courses, medical, agriculture, and architecture courses, and other courses under the Higher Education Department.

To qualify, applicants must be permanent residents of Odisha, belong to the SC or ST category, and hold an unconditional offer of admission from a Top 200 QS-ranked foreign university. Their annual gross family income, from all sources, should not exceed ₹12 lakh. A student can avail this benefit only once in their lifetime, for either a postgraduate degree or a PhD, not both. The Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme does not cover candidates who are already staying, studying or have completed studies abroad using another scholarship, financial assistance or their own funds. Applicants also cannot apply for the same level of study for which they have already obtained a qualification from any university or institution in India or abroad.

The Odisha State Higher Education Council (OSHEC) is the nodal agency responsible for screening applications, verifying documents, conducting interviews, and preparing the merit list, which is based on the QS ranking of the admitting university, followed by academic marks and family income where there's a tie. Applications are accepted only online, through the official OSS Portal at scholarship.odisha.gov.in, and the portal is designed to open twice a year, once in July-August and again in December-January.

The Higher Education Department has opened the OSS Portal for applications for the academic years 2025-26 and 2026-27, with the application window running from 18 August 2026 to 18 September 2026. Students planning to pursue higher studies abroad in the near future should check their eligibility early, since incomplete applications are rejected outright and there is no request for change of institution or university will ordinarily be entertained. However, the guidelines allow a one-time change for certain Ph.D. students under specified circumstances. Besides this, the Odisha government is providing various scholarship, such as Post Matric Scholarship Scheme, Sudakshya Scholaraship Scheme and others.

Update: The last date to apply for the Odisha Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme has been extended. Eligible students can now submit their applications through the OSS Portal until 18 September 2026.

Scheme Benefits

Under the Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme, selected students receive financial assistance to support their higher education abroad. The assistance covers tuition fees, living expenses and specified miscellaneous expenses, subject to the limits prescribed under the scheme.

• Eligible students can receive financial assistance of up to ₹25 lakh per student per year for pursuing eligible PG or Ph.D. courses abroad.
• Up to ₹15 lakh per year is provided towards tuition fees, subject to actual expenses charged by the foreign university.
• The tuition fee assistance covers the differential course fee payable by the student after deducting any scholarship waiver or fee waiver offered by the admitting university.
• Students receive up to ₹7 lakh per year for living expenses, which is paid in four quarterly instalments.
• Up to ₹3 lakh is provided for miscellaneous expenses, including to-and-fro airfare, insurance, visa processing fees and other similar incidental expenses.
• The miscellaneous allowance is released as ₹2 lakh at the beginning of the first year and ₹1 lakh at the beginning of the second year.
• The scheme provides an overall financial assistance ceiling of ₹50 lakh per student per course.
• Financial support is available for 1 or 2 years for PG courses, depending on the course duration, and for up to 2 years for Ph.D. courses.
• The scholarship amount is disbursed directly into the student's registered bank account after confirmation is received from the concerned foreign institution or university.
• The scheme supports 50 students every year across different streams and disciplines.
• Students who need additional financial support can avail an educational loan with interest subvention under the Kalinga Sikhya Sathi Yojana (KSSY), as provided under the scheme guidelines.
• A student can avail the Bidesh Sikhyabruti scholarship only once in their lifetime, either for a PG or Ph.D. course.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must fulfil the eligibility conditions prescribed under the Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme to receive the scholarship benefit. The following conditions must be met at the time of application.

• The applicant must be a permanent resident of Odisha.
• The applicant must belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) category of Odisha.
• The applicant must have an unconditional offer of admission to a foreign institution or university ranked among the Top 200 in the latest available QS Ranking at the time of application.
• The applicant's gross annual family income must not exceed ₹12 lakh. Income from all family members and all sources, including pensionary benefits, is considered.
• The applicant must not be a regular employee of any Central or State Government, PSU or Autonomous Body at the time of application.
• The applicant must not be receiving any other scholarship or financial assistance from the Central/State Government, PSU, private institution, organisation or person for the same purpose and course.
• The applicant must not have already stayed, studied or completed studies abroad using another scholarship, assistance or their own funds.
• For a Master's Degree, the applicant must have secured at least 65% marks in the relevant bachelor's degree and must not be more than 35 years of age.
• For a Ph.D., the applicant must have secured at least 65% marks in the relevant master's degree and must not be more than 40 years of age.
• The applicant must not apply for the same level of study for which they have already obtained a qualification from any university or institution in India or abroad.
• The applicant must have a clean record. The guidelines provide for debarment if disciplinary action or criminal charges are reported by the concerned Indian Embassy/High Commission during the period of financial support.

Required Documents

Applicants need to submit documents supporting their residence, caste, income, academic qualifications and admission to the foreign university. The following documents are required at the application stage, while selected candidates may need to provide additional documents later.

• 10th Board Certificate
• Residence Certificate issued by the designated Tahasildar or Additional Tahasildar through the e-certificate system
• Annual Income Certificate for the current financial year, issued by a Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tahasildar or Additional Tahasildar
• Valid Caste Certificate issued by a Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tahasildar or Additional Tahasildar
• Passport-size photograph
• Scanned signature of the candidate
• Qualifying Degree/Provisional Certificate
• Mark sheet of the qualifying examination
• Valid documents related to admission to the foreign university, such as application, registration or admission-related documents
• Aadhaar Card

Additional Documents Required After Selection

• Attestation Form
• Self-Declaration/Undertaking regarding total annual family income
• Self-Declaration regarding any pending case/non-conviction of offence
• Copy of Passport and Visa
• University fee-waiver documents, if applicable

Selected candidates may also have to visit the Higher Education Department personally with the original documents for verification after taking prior permission or an appointment.

Steps to Apply

Eligible candidates can apply for the Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme through the designated online state scholarship portal. The application process is conducted online, and applicants must submit a complete application along with the required documents.

Online Application Process

1. Secure an unconditional offer of admission from a foreign university ranked within the Top 200 of the latest QS World Ranking.
2. Visit the official OSS Portal at scholarship.odisha.gov.in.
3. Register on the portal and check the eligibility details listed under the Bidesh Sikhyabruti scheme.
4. Fill in personal, academic, and family income details in the application form.
5. Upload all required documents, including caste certificate, income certificate, residence certificate, Aadhaar card, academic records, and proof of foreign admission.
6. Submit the application before the last date of the current application window.
7. Track the application status on the portal for scrutiny by the Selection-cum-Screening Committee.
8. On selection, collect the provisional Award of Scholarship letter and submit the additional post-selection documents (attestation form, income and non-conviction self-declarations, passport and visa copy, fee-waiver documents) as required.
9. Visit the Higher Education Department in person, by prior appointment, with all original documents for verification.

Note: The application window for the Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme is currently open. As per the official notice from the Higher Education Department, applications for academic years 2025-26 and 2026-27 are being accepted through the OSS Portal from 18 August 2026 to 18 September 2026.

Application and Selection Timeline

• The scholarship portal is scheduled to open twice a year, generally during July/August and December/January of each academic year.
• After submission, applications are forwarded to the Selection-cum-Screening Committee for scrutiny and recommendation.
• The committee examines the eligibility and documents and may conduct a personal interview as part of the selection process.
• The final list of selected, waiting and rejected candidates is uploaded on the online portal after approval.
• Registered applicants are also informed through email or messages.

Important: Incomplete applications are summarily rejected. Candidates whose applications are selected may subsequently need to submit additional documents, including the passport, visa, undertakings and other documents specified by the Higher Education Department. The department may also require candidates to produce original documents for verification.

Selection Process for Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme

1. Submission of Application: Eligible candidates must submit their complete applications through the designated online portal along with the required documents.
2. Initial Scrutiny: The Odisha State Higher Education Council (OSHEC), through the Selection-cum-Screening Committee, conducts the initial scrutiny of applications and verifies the submitted documents.
3. Verification of Admission and Institution: The committee verifies the candidate's admission offer and the ranking and accreditation of the foreign university or institution.
4. Merit List Preparation: A merit list is prepared primarily according to the latest QS ranking of the foreign university or institution from which the candidate has received an admission offer. Candidates admitted to higher-ranked institutions receive a higher position in the merit list.
5. Tie-Breaking: If two or more candidates have the same QS ranking, their merit position is decided based on marks or grades obtained in the previous qualifying examination. If the tie still remains, preference is given to the candidate with lower annual family income.
6. Personal Interview: The Selection Committee may conduct personal interviews as part of the selection process.
7. Recommendation by OSHEC: After scrutiny, verification, interview and merit assessment, OSHEC submits its recommendations and ranking of eligible candidates to the Higher Education Department.
8. Final Approval: The recommended list is submitted to the Higher Education Department for approval and award of the Bidesh Sikhyabruti scholarship.
9. Publication of Result: The list of selected, waiting and rejected candidates is uploaded on the online portal. Registered applicants are also informed through email or messages.
10. Provisional Award Letter: Selected candidates who have already secured admission to a foreign university or institution are issued a Provisional Award of Scholarship Letter.

Important: A selected candidate can receive a maximum intake deferral of one year from the date of issuance of the provisional award letter to join the foreign university or institution. If the candidate fails to join within this period, the award is automatically cancelled.

Relevant Links

• Odisha Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme Online Application
• Odisha State Scholarship Portal Registration
• Odisha Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme Guidelines
• Odisha State Scholarship Portal

Contact Information

• Odisha State Scholarship Portal Contact Details
• Odisha Higher Education Department Contact Numbers.