Nua-O Scholarship Distribution event held at Khurdha and Begunia

Bhubaneswar: In line with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s vision for empowering Odisha’s youth, Kartik Pandian, Chairman of 5T and Nabin Odisha, visited Khurdha and Begunia to oversee the Nua-O Scholarship Distribution Programme. This initiative aims to support eligible PG and UG students from State government universities, government colleges, non-government aided, and unaided colleges.

During the visit, Kartik Pandian interacted with students from 30 colleges in Khurdha District, apprising them of the Nua-O Scholarship. The scholarship amounts to Rs. 9,000 for General and OBC male students, Rs. 10,000 for General and OBC female students, Rs. 10,000 for SC/ST male students, and Rs. 11,000 for SC/ST female students. In Khurdha district alone, 16,613 students from 30 colleges received scholarship amounts totaling Rs. 16.13 Crores.

Kartik Pandian distributed Nua-O Scholarship Sanction Orders to the students and conveyed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s best wishes for their future. The Chief Minister expressed optimism that this initiative would contribute to realizing the vision of a prosperous Nua Odisha.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to youth empowerment, Kartik Pandian unveiled the upcoming Nabin Odisha Magic Card. This smart card, operating on a points-system, aims to engage and empower the youth in academic development, personality development, skill development, and employment.

The Nabin Odisha Magic Card, referred to as the “Passport to Prosperity,” will be upgraded to Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels based on points earned through various activities such as attendance, discipline, academic performance, extracurricular activities, sports, online courses, and personality development courses.

The card will provide access to a range of facilities, including transportation concessions, phone/data recharge, e-libraries, online academic courses, personality development courses, skill development courses, career counseling, language courses, “Earn While You Learn” opportunities, volunteering opportunities, stadium access during national and international tournaments, access to journals and seminars, access to tourist places, museums, and more.

Kartik Pandian highlighted that the card would also offer job and placement opportunities by sharing data with potential recruiting companies. The card is set to integrate with the startup ecosystem to encourage entrepreneurial aspirations among students.

The online registration portal for the Nabin Odisha Magic Card will be launched on March 5th, 2024, making all UG and PG students eligible. Card distribution is scheduled for August 15th.

Students expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Kartik Pandian for the swift execution of the initiative and the impactful scholarships, which were credited to their accounts immediately after the launch.

The government welcomes further inputs from students and teachers to enhance the points-system, ensuring that the Nabin Odisha Magic Card becomes a revolutionary concept for youth engagement and empowerment.