Odisha Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme

What is the Odisha Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme?

Odisha Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme is an overseas education scholarship of the Higher Education Department, Government of Odisha, that funds Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students of the state to pursue postgraduate and doctoral study at leading foreign universities. The scheme was formally launched on 26 November 2025, with the Higher Education Minister presiding over the event, and takes effect from the 2025-26 academic year.

The name translates roughly as "foreign education scholarship", videsh for abroad, siksha for education, bruti for stipend or scholarship, and readers will also see it written as Videsh Shiksha Bruti.

What distinguishes this scheme from most state scholarships is the size of the award. Odisha Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme pays up to Rs 25 lakh per year per student. That is not a token contribution towards a foreign degree; it is intended to cover tuition, living expenses and the associated academic costs of studying overseas, and it places the scheme among the largest per-student scholarships offered by any Indian state.

The scheme addresses a specific gap. SC and ST students from Odisha routinely clear the academic bar for admission to leading foreign universities and are then stopped by the cost, which even a substantial education loan rarely covers for a two-year Masters or a multi-year doctorate at a top-ranked institution. The Higher Education Department's answer was to fund the admission directly rather than subsidise borrowing.

How much does the Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme pay?

Each selected student receives up to Rs 25,00,000 per year. The award is described as covering tuition fees, living expenses and academic costs associated with the programme.

The word "up to" matters. The award is a ceiling rather than a flat grant, so the sanctioned amount for a given student will reflect the actual fee and cost structure of the programme and the university concerned. A student at an institution with lower tuition will not receive Rs 25 lakh simply because the cap allows it.

Fifty scholarships are awarded annually, and the allocation across disciplines is fixed:

Within each of the three groups, the slots are split between postgraduate and doctoral candidates, so a PhD applicant is not competing directly against the full Masters field.

Who is eligible for the Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme?

You can apply if:

• You belong to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe category and hold a caste certificate from the competent Odisha authority.
• You are an Odisha domicile holder.
• Your annual family income is Rs 12 lakh or less, evidenced by an income certificate.
• You have secured admission to a postgraduate (Masters) or PhD programme.
• The university or institution you have been admitted to is ranked in the top 200 of the QS World University Rankings.
• You hold a valid passport and the academic transcripts on which the admission was granted.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not from the SC or ST category. The scheme is category-specific and there is no general or OBC stream within it.
• Your family income exceeds Rs 12 lakh a year.
• You are going abroad for an undergraduate degree. Only Masters and doctoral programmes are covered.
• Your university is outside the QS top 200. The ranking is a hard filter, and an admission from an excellent but lower-ranked institution will not qualify.
• You are not an Odisha domicile holder.
• You have not yet secured admission. The scheme funds a confirmed offer, so an applicant still awaiting a decision cannot be considered in that cycle.

The most common misunderstanding about this scheme is the sequencing. Odisha Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme does not help you obtain foreign admission, pay for entrance tests, or fund English-language examinations. You obtain the admission yourself, and the scheme pays for the study once the offer is in hand.

What documents are required?

Assemble the QS ranking proof carefully. The ranking changes each year, so print or save the ranking page for the year in which you are applying, showing the institution's position within the top 200.

How to apply for the Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme

1. Secure your foreign admission first. Apply directly to postgraduate or doctoral programmes at universities within the QS World top 200, and obtain a written admission or offer letter. Nothing in this scheme proceeds without it.
2. Confirm the ranking. Check the current QS World University Rankings and save the evidence showing your institution inside the top 200 for the applicable year.
3. Collect the certificates. Obtain your SC or ST caste certificate, the income certificate showing annual family income of Rs 12 lakh or less, and the Odisha residence certificate from the Tahasildar. These take time, so start before the window opens.
4. Watch for the application window. Applications are invited twice a year, in a July to August cycle and a December to January cycle. Notifications are published by the Higher Education Department and announced on the Odisha State Scholarship Portal.
5. Submit the application online with the admission letter, ranking proof, caste and income certificates, residence certificate, Aadhaar, passport, transcripts, bank details and photograph.
6. Attend the selection process if called. With 50 slots split across three discipline groups and two study levels, selection is competitive and rests on the strength of the admission and the academic record.
7. Complete visa and travel formalities after selection, and provide the bank account details for release of the scholarship.

How do I check my application status?

Because Odisha Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme is new; launched in November 2025 and implemented from the 2025-26 academic year, the tracking route is still settling. Check the Higher Education Department website at dhe.odisha.gov.in for cycle notifications and selection lists, and watch the Announcement section on scholarship.odisha.gov.in, where the state publishes scheme-level notices for all its scholarships.

Applicants should keep the acknowledgement or reference number generated at submission, since selection lists for a 50-slot scheme are typically published against application numbers rather than names.

Points applicants most often get wrong

• Applying before admission. The scheme funds a confirmed offer. An application without an admission letter cannot be processed.
• Using last year's QS ranking. Rankings shift, and a university that was 195th last year may fall outside the top 200 this year.
• Assuming undergraduate study qualifies. Only Masters and PhD programmes are covered.
• Missing the income ceiling by a small margin. Rs 12 lakh is a hard limit; the income certificate must reflect the correct year.
• Applying in the wrong discipline group. The 10-10-30 split means a candidate should be clear which of the three groups their programme falls into, because that determines the field they compete in.
• Leaving the certificates until the window opens. Caste, income and residence certificates from the Tahasildar take weeks, and the windows are short.

Key dates and where to ask

Odisha Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme was launched on 26 November 2025 and implemented from the 2025-26 academic year. Applications are invited twice each year, in the July to August and December to January windows.

For queries, the Higher Education Department, Government of Odisha is the administering authority, and its website at dhe.odisha.gov.in carries the scheme notifications. The Odisha State Scholarship Portal helpline on 155335 or 1800-345-6770 is the state's general scholarship helpdesk, operating 9 AM to 5 PM on all government official days, and is the practical first call if you cannot find the current notification. Written grievances can be filed on the state's public grievance system at janasunani.odisha.gov.in.

Because this scheme is recent, treat any rate card, deadline or eligibility detail you find on a third-party site with caution and confirm it against the Higher Education Department notification for the cycle you are applying in. Applying is free, and no consultancy is authorised to charge a fee for securing this scholarship.