Focus on Inclusion of More Eligible Students under Gopabandhu Shiksha Sahayata Yojana
Bhubaneswar (Odisha Taza News) :- To ensure access to higher education for students living with HIV and those from families affected by HIV, and to address the financial and social barriers faced by them, coordination between the Odisha State AIDS Control Society (OSACS) and the Higher Education Department will be further strengthened. In this regard, an important meeting was held today at the OSACS office between Dr. Akshaya Kumar Satapathy, Project Director, OSACS, and Shri Kali Prasanna Mahapatra, Director, Higher Education Department. This was the first meeting of Dr. Satapathy after assuming charge as Project Director, OSACS.
A major focus of the meeting was on identifying a larger number of eligible students from HIV/AIDS-affected families and ensuring that they receive the benefits available under the State Government’s Gopabandhu Shiksha Sahayata Yojana (GSSY). Families affected by HIV/AIDS have been included as an eligible category under the Gopabandhu Shiksha Sahayata Yojana. Eligible students whose father, mother or both parents are affected by HIV/AIDS can avail financial assistance under the provisions of the scheme.
The scheme also provides assistance to eligible students who are themselves living with HIV. Implemented by the Higher Education Department, the scheme aims to provide financial support to students to enable them to continue their higher education. Under the existing provisions of the scheme, eligible students receive financial assistance of ₹20,000 per year.
Students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate courses can avail themselves of the assistance as per the prescribed eligibility criteria. The financial assistance is intended to support students in meeting expenses related to education, study materials, transportation and other educational requirements. As per eligibility provisions, students pursuing non-technical, technical and professional undergraduate and postgraduate courses can also benefit from the scheme.
The Gopabandhu Shiksha Sahayata Yojana is not limited to students from HIV/AIDS-affected families. It also provides financial assistance for higher education to eligible students belonging to several other vulnerable categories. These categories include students from HIV/AIDS-affected families, homeless families, helpless and economically disadvantaged families,
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), single-mother families (including widows, divorced women and unmarried mothers with dependent children), orphan children requiring special care and protection, transgender students, and students rescued from child marriage who are residing in recognised shelter homes or hostels.
The meeting emphasised the need to ensure that eligible students are aware of the scheme and apply through the prescribed procedure of the Higher Education Department to avail its benefits. A key issue discussed was how to identify eligible students who may be missing out on the benefits due to lack of awareness about the scheme or inadequate information about the application process.
In this regard, emphasis was placed on disseminating information about the scheme among higher-education students and youth from HIV/AIDS-affected families through various service centres functioning under OSACS at the district level and through associated partner organisations. It was also discussed that Red Ribbon Clubs (RRCs) functioning in colleges could play an important role in informing students not only about HIV/AIDS awareness but also about various government educational assistance schemes available to them.
The meeting further stressed the importance of strengthening coordination between the two departments to create an inclusive, discrimination-free and dignified educational environment for students living with HIV. Awareness-building efforts will also be strengthened to ensure that HIV-positive students do not face any form of discrimination in educational institutions.
It may be noted that, as per the order of the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Odisha, Dr. Akshaya Kumar Satapathy, Director, HI&VS, assumed additional charge as Project Director, OSACS, on September 1, 2026.
Among others, Shri Ashok Kumar Goud, Joint Secretary, Higher Education Department; Dr. Namita Mishra, Joint Director, OSACS; Ms. Shatabdi Ray, Administrative Officer, OSACS, Smt. Smruti Sagarika Kanungo, Assistant Director, OSACS and other officials were present at the meeting.
