Odisha Green Passage Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Odisha Green Passage Scheme is a Government of Odisha initiative that gives orphan and vulnerable children free access to education after Class 12. The state runs this scheme through two separate departments. The Higher Education Department covers students in colleges and universities, while the Skill Development & Technical Education (SD&TE) Department covers orphans studying in Government ITIs and Government Polytechnics. Both versions share the same name and spirit, but each department follows its own rules, benefits, and eligibility conditions.

The Higher Education Department started the Green Passage Scheme in the 2016-17 academic session to provide free higher education to children without biological or adoptive parents. The COVID-19 pandemic left many children in Odisha without both parents or without the single parent who earned for the family. To protect these children, the department extends its coverage to children who lost both parents or their single bread-earning parent, children living in Child Care Institutions, and children under foster care or the care of a guardian, fit person, or surviving parent. 

In February 2023, the SD&TE Department introduced its own Green Passage scheme, titled "Exemption of fees and payment of stipend to Orphans", to bring orphans into skilled trades through free technical and vocational training.

The main objective of the Odisha Green Passage Scheme is to ensure that no child drops out of education because they have lost parental support. The Higher Education Department wants such children to complete degree, professional, and technical courses without paying fees. The SD&TE Department aims to bring a holistic transformation in the lives of orphans through a nurturing skill development environment, so that they can join the mainstream as productive skilled professionals.

Under the Higher Education Department's scheme, eligible students do not pay application, admission, readmission, tuition, examination, hostel admission, laboratory, library, or college development fees, and their institutions provide free accommodation and food. In private unaided institutions, the government reimburses the fees up to ₹5 lakh for the entire course. The annual income of the guardian, fit person, or surviving parent must not exceed ₹8 lakh. Under the SD&TE Department's scheme, orphans in Government ITIs and Polytechnics get fee exemption along with a monthly maintenance allowance of ₹2,000 for hostellers and ₹1,000 for day scholars.

Apart from the Green Passage Scheme, the Odisha government also runs the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangal Yojana, which provides ₹20,000 savings at birth + ₹1,00,001 after graduation for EWS girls, and the Bidesh Sikhyabruti Scheme, which provides up to ₹25 lakh scholarship for SC/ST students pursuing PG/PhD abroad in top 200 QS-ranked universities. Interested students can explore the complete details of both schemes here.

Latest Update:

The Higher Education Department has invited fresh online applications for the Odisha Green Passage Scheme for the academic year 2026-27 through the Odisha State Scholarship Portal (OSSP). Students can apply online from 02 November 2026, and the last date to apply is 23 November 2026. Institutes will verify applications by 30 November 2026, and District Child Protection Officers (DCPOs) will complete online validation by 14 December 2026. The SD&TE Department's Green Passage (Orphans Students) scheme also runs through the same portal, but the department has not yet opened the 2026-27 application window. 

Benefits of Odisha Green Passage Scheme

Each department offers a different set of benefits under the Odisha Green Passage Scheme, so students should check the section that matches their course before applying.

Higher Education Department (Colleges and Universities)

• Complete fee waiver: Application, admission/readmission, tuition, examination, hostel admission, laboratory, library, and college development fees are exempted.
• Free stay and meals: The institution provides free accommodation and food to the student.
• Government institutions: The college waives the fees at the time of admission once the student submits the required documents.
• Non-Government Aided colleges: The college waives the fees at admission and later claims reimbursement from the Higher Education Department.
• Non-Government Unaided institutions: The student pays the fees first and then claims reimbursement from the government, limited to ₹5 lakh for the entire course.

SD&TE Department (Government ITIs and Polytechnics)

• Fee exemption: Tuition fees, admission application fees, development fees, hostel seat rent (for boarders), library charges, and examination fees are exempted.
• Caution money: The student still deposits the refundable caution money at the time of admission.
• ₹2,000 per month: Maintenance allowance for hostellers or students living in a certified mess.
• ₹1,000 per month: Maintenance allowance for day scholars.
• Purpose of allowance: The allowance helps students meet the cost of food, learning aids, and other incidental expenses.
• Fee payment: The department routes the exempted fees directly to the Principal of the institute from the scheme budget.

Eligibility Requirements

Students must fulfill the following eligibility conditions of the department under which they are studying:

Higher Education Department 

• The child must fall into any one of these categories:
  • A child without biological or adoptive parents.
  • A child who has lost both parents.
  • A child who has lost a single bread-earning parent (including COVID-19 victims).
  • A child residing in a Child Care Institution, or under foster care or the care of a guardian, fit person, or surviving parent.
• General, SC, ST, OBC/SEBC and EBC students can apply.
• The income of the parents/guardian from all sources must not exceed ₹8,00,000 (Eight Lakh) per annum.
• The student must study in a Government or Non-Government Higher Education Institution (college or university) in Odisha.

SD&TE Department 

• Orphans, which includes children without biological parents, adoptive parents, or legal guardians, and abandoned or surrendered children.
• General, SC, ST, OBC/SEBC, and EBC students can apply.
• Eligible courses: I.T.I./I.T.C. and Polytechnic/Diploma courses.
• Institution: The student must take admission in a Government ITI or a Government Polytechnic/Engineering School in Odisha.

Complete List of Eligible Courses for Higher Education Department

Under the Green Passage Scheme of the Higher Education Department, students enrolled in the following Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Integrated, Professional, and Research courses are eligible:

• Undergraduate: Plus 3, B.Sc (Hons), B.Sc Technical/Professional, B.Voc, BBA, BCA, B.Ed, Engineering (B.Tech), B.Tech and M.Tech Dual Degree
• Postgraduate: M.A., M.Com., M.Sc., M.Sc Tech, M.Sc Technical/Professional, M.Tech., M.Ed., MBA, MCA, Master in Finance & Control (MFC), Master in Social Work (MSW)/Master in Social Management, Master in Visual Arts, Hotel Management (PG)
• Integrated courses: Integrated B.Ed (ITEP), Integrated B.Ed-M.Ed, Integrated M.Com, Integrated M.A., Integrated M.Sc, Integrated M.Sc B.Ed, Integrated Master in Science, Integrated MBA, Integrated MCA
• Professional and other fields: Accountancy, Agriculture & Allied Sciences, Applied Art & Craft, Architecture, Ayurvedic, Fashion Technology, Fishery, Forestry, Interior Design, Journalism, Law, Management, Medical, Multimedia and Animation, Nursing
• Research: M.Phil, Ph.D and Doctoral courses

Documents Required

Both departments require the same set of documents for the Odisha Green Passage Scheme, so applicants should keep these ready before filling out the online form.

• Aadhaar card of the student
• Income certificate of the parent/guardian
• Copy of the bank passbook showing the account number and the IFSC code of the bank branch
• Passport-size photograph of the student
• College ID card of the student
• Marksheet of the last examination passed

Steps to Apply

Both versions of the Green Passage Scheme now accept applications online through the Odisha State Scholarship Portal, and students do not need to submit any paper form to the department. You can understand the complete application process by following the steps below.

Application Process under Higher Education Department 

• Visit the Odisha State Scholarship Portal at https://scholarship.odisha.gov.in/.
• Click Register if you are a new user. Existing users can click Login.
• Enter your Aadhaar number and proceed with registration.
• Log in with your User ID and Password.
• Select Higher Education Department as the department and Green Passage as the scheme.
• Fill in your student details, academic details, eligibility details, and bank details.
• Upload the required documents in the prescribed format.
• Click Save as Draft to save your progress, or click Next to save and continue.
• Check the preview of the completed form and submit it.
• Download the submitted form and keep a printout for future reference.

Note: The last date to submit applications for the Odisha Green Passage Scheme under the Higher Education Department is 23 November 2026. Students are advised to apply well in advance to avoid last-minute hassles.

Verification Process

After you submit the form, your institute scrutinises and forwards the application online between 05.11.2026 and 30.11.2026. The District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) of your district then validates the application online by 14.12.2026. The DCPO verifies your category on the following basis:

• Child Care Institution inmates (present or former): The DCPO certifies the case directly.
• Children under foster care or guardian care: The DCPO certifies the case on the basis of the CWC recommendation and the income certificate issued by the Tahasildar.
• Children of COVID-19 victims: The DCPO considers the case on the basis of the Specially Cared Child Certificate/I-Card and the Tahasildar's income certificate.

Application Process under SD&TE Department (ITI and Polytechnic)

• By the end of December every year, Principals of Government ITIs and Polytechnics arrange visits of identified eligible orphans to their institutes in consultation with the local government and DCPOs.
• The institutes give these candidates the brochure-cum-application form and details of the online admission process for the next session.
• The student takes admission in a Government ITI or Polytechnic through the regular online admission process.
• When the department opens the window, the student registers or logs in on the Scholarship Portal using Aadhaar.
• The student selects the Skill Development & Technical Education Department and then the Green Passage (Orphan Students) scheme.
• The student fills in the form, uploads the required documents, and submits the application.
• The institute verifies the application, and the student receives fee exemption along with the monthly maintenance allowance.

Note: The SD&TE Department has not yet opened applications for 2026-27, so students are advised to watch the scholarship portal for the official announcement.

Relevant Links

• Odisha Green Passage Scheme Registration
• Odisha Green Passage Scheme Login
• Odisha State Scholarship Portal
• Odisha Green Passage Scheme Department of Higher Education Notification
• Odisha Green Passage Scheme SD&TE Department Notification 

Contact Information

• Department of Higher Education, Odisha Contact Details
• Skill Development & Technical Education (SD&TE) Department Phone Number: 0674-2391319
• SD&TE Department Helpline Number: 8917486138
• SD&TE Department Helpdesk Email: [email protected]