New Delhi, 22 December 2021 – The Odisha government has increased the scholarship amount under the Banishree Scholarship Scheme 2021-22. As per the shared information (briefly highlighted below), the increase in scholarship amount is nearly twice of what students used to receive.
The scholarship launched by the Government of Odisha for students with special needs (students with disabilities) is expected to provide financial assistance to around 23,600 students in Odisha. Through this scholarship scheme, the state government offers some special allowances to disabled children so that they can pursue their education without any financial crunch.
On Tuesday, 21st December 2021, Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Minister Ashok Chandra Panda informed that the SSEPD department plans to implement the increased scholarship amount under the direction of Odisha’s Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik from the academic year 2022-23.
Banishree Scholarship Amount Hike – Details
The government of Odisha and the SSEPD department have jointly shared the details of the scholarship hike for each academic level highlighted in the below table:
For students studying within Odisha
| Academic Level (Class wise) | Previous Scholarship Amount (per month) | Current Scholarship Amount after Hike (per month) |
| Class 1 to Class 5 | INR 200 | INR 400 |
| Class 6 to Class 10 | INR 250 | INR 500 |
| Class +2 and +3 | INR 300 | INR 600 |
| Post Graduation | INR 350 | INR 700 |
| Technical and Vocational Training | INR 350 | INR 700 |
For students studying Outside Odisha
| Academic Level (Class wise) | Previous Scholarship Amount (per month) | Current Scholarship Amount after Hike (per month) |
| Class 1 to University Level | INR 200 | INR 400 |
Scholarship Hike in Other Sections
- Not limited to the academic level, the Banishree scholarship scheme also looks after the transport allowance of students. The allowance students with 75% or more disability will get INR 200 per month instead of the previous amount, i.e., INR 100 per month.
- The scholarship amount for students studying in middle school has been increased from INR 150 per month to INR 300 per month.
- The reader’s allowance for other disabled students (excluding the visually impaired) has been hiked from INR 200 per month to INR 400 per month.
- The reader’s allowance for visually impaired students in primary schools has been increased from INR 100 per month to INR 200 per month.
Banishree Scholarship – Eligibility Criteria
To apply for the upcoming hiked Banishree scholarship opportunity, candidates must fulfil the below-mentioned eligibility criteria.
- Applicant must be a permanent resident of Odisha
- He/she should be a regular student of a recognized institution
- The annual family income of the applicant should not be more than INR 60,000 per annum
- Only students who are physically disabled can apply for the scholarship
- The applicant should not be receiving any kind of financial assistance/stipend/scholarship from state or central government under any other scheme
