Odisha robotics labs in 807 schools, Odia scholarships for 7,350 at Suravi-2026

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated robotics laboratories in 807 schools, built at a cost of Rs 164.33 crore, and announced an annual scholarship of Rs 7,500 each for 7,350 students who score highest in Odia, while opening the state's three-day children's festival Suravi-2026 in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, 12 November 2026. The labs are meant to give students of Classes VI to X hands-on exposure to robotics, coding, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and 3D printing. The Chief Minister also launched the Nipun app for foundational learning and presented the Chief Minister's Education Awards.

For many school students, robotics and coding labs are a first chance to build and program a machine with their own hands. Placing labs in 807 schools at once spreads that exposure across the state rather than limiting it to a few model schools. The state's stated aim is to prepare students for emerging technologies from Class VI onwards, well before they choose a stream.

The real test will come after the inauguration. Labs need trained teachers, regular timetable hours, maintenance and a supply of components; without them, equipment can sit unused. The announcement did not set out how teachers will be trained or how often students will use the labs, so parents and school leaders will want to watch how the programme runs in its first year.

The Odia scholarship pulls in a different direction, rewarding mastery of the state's own language. Linking the award to marks in the Odia paper of the High School Certificate examination gives students in Odia-medium schools a direct financial reason to excel in the language.

The Nipun app targets the most basic layer of schooling: making sure young children can read with understanding and do simple arithmetic, the skills on which everything else depends.

What students and parents should do next: ask your school whether it is among the 807 with a new robotics lab and how classes will use it, and Odia-medium students preparing for the High School Certificate examination should note that their Odia marks can now bring a yearly scholarship.

Peepals calculation: The Rs 164.33 crore spent on 807 robotics labs works out to about Rs 20.4 lakh per school (164.33 crore ÷ 807 ≈ 0.2036 crore). The Odia scholarship for 7,350 students at Rs 7,500 each costs about Rs 5.51 crore a year (7,350 × 7,500 = 5,51,25,000). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Students in 807 schools get access to robotics and coding equipment, and 7,350 students receive Odia scholarships.

Long-term: If the labs are used regularly, more of these students could choose science and technology courses after Class X; the scholarship could strengthen the position of Odia in classrooms.

Who is affected: Students of Classes VI to X in the 807 schools, Odia-medium High School Certificate candidates, teachers who will run the labs, and parents.

What to watch next: Suravi-2026 runs until Saturday, 14 November 2026, Children's Day.

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