- Odisha launches Videsh Siksha Bruti, an international scholarship scheme to support SC/ST students in pursuing postgraduate and PhD studies at top 200 QS-ranked global universities.
- The scheme offers up to ₹25 lakh per year for 50 students annually, covering tuition, living, and academic expenses, with eligibility capped at ₹12 lakh family income.
- The initiative has drawn interest from the British Council, opening avenues for global academic collaboration, research partnerships, and inclusive international education pathways.
A new international scholarship scheme, called Videsh Siksha Bruti, has been instituted by the Government of Odisha to help meritorious students from marginalized sections pursue postgraduate and doctoral studies at leading universities overseas. Targeted specifically at students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the initiative reflects the state's broad commitment to widening access to global higher education opportunities for underrepresented groups and addressing structural inequities in advanced learning that have been in place for so long.
Under the scheme, students will be eligible if their family's annual income does not exceed ₹12 lakh, and in case they secure admission to a university, which features among the top 200 globally by QS rankings. This scholarship shall provide tuition fees, living expenses and other academic-related expenses of up to ₹25 lakh per year. By reducing financial impediments to overseas education, the scheme aims to make sure that academic merit and ambition, rather than socioeconomic background determines access to world-class institutions.
The Videsh Siksha Bruti program will support 50 students every year across a wide range of disciplines, with two cycles of application each year to have more flexibility and accessibility. The structure can accommodate varying admission timelines at international universities and maximize the pool of participating eligible students. The initiative aligns with Odisha's ongoing efforts to strengthen human capital development and enable students from disadvantaged backgrounds to compete on a global academic stage.
Internationally, the scholarship has also attracted interest from the British Council, given the alignment of the scheme to the United Kingdom's priorities in higher education on widening participation, equity, and social mobility. Through the linkage of international recruitment to access and inclusion goals, the program gives UK universities an opportunity to diversify their postgraduate and doctoral cohorts while supporting talented students who may not have otherwise had the means to study abroad.
Also Read: Upcoming regulations for international universities in India
This is furthered by the focus on postgraduate and PhD-level study, which allows for deeper academic and research collaboration. In the opinion of the British Council, engagement with Odisha doctoral-level scholars can reinforce research pipelines, strengthen supervision at the doctoral level, and spawn longer-term academic relationships. This places UK universities not as some magnet for international students, but as strategic partners in the development of skills and talent.
Beyond student mobility, the scheme opens up pathways for more general institutional and state-level interaction. Early movers will have the opportunity to engage with Odisha's education authorities, with early-stage MoUs, co-funded mobility, research collaborations, or joint capacity-building projects thus an ongoing likelihood.
The partnerships could go beyond recruitment-related issues alone and spill over into genuine academic exchange and innovation. In sum, this launch of Videsh Siksha Bruti shows a milestone in the quest of Odisha toward democratizing access to global higher education. This scheme fuses financial support, merit-based selections, and international collaborations into an aim to empower students from historically marginalised communities, strengthening India's global academic and research presence.
