Odisha CM Majhi announces free textbooks for Class 9-10 students
Synopsis
On India's 80th Independence Day, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced free textbooks for all Class 9 and 10 government school students, extending a programme that previously covered only Classes 1 to 8 and targeting a critical stage where dropout pressures are highest.
Key Takeaways
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi announced free textbooks for Class 9 and Class 10 government school students on 15 August 2026 .
The scheme extends an existing programme that previously covered Classes 1 through 8 in government schools.
The announcement was made on India's 80th Independence Day , a platform state governments frequently use for welfare commitments.
Classes 9 and 10 are the final stage before the Class 10 board examination , a period associated with elevated dropout risk.
Procurement details, distribution timelines for the 2026-27 academic session , and budget allocations are yet to be announced.
On India's 80th Independence Day, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi used the national platform to extend a concrete promise to the state's secondary school students: free textbooks for every child in Class 9 and Class 10 in government schools. The announcement, made on 15 August 2026, signals a deliberate push to close the affordability gap that still keeps textbooks out of reach for families in one of India's largest states.
The Chief Minister's Office posted in Odia, stating that the decision 'will make the path of learning smoother for our students and serve as a firm step in building their bright future.' The phrasing is pointed — not just access, but trajectory.
Extending a promise that stopped at Class 8
Odisha has distributed free textbooks to students in Classes 1 through 8 in government schools for several years. The new announcement pushes that guarantee two grades higher, into the critical secondary stage where dropout pressures — particularly for girls and children from low-income households — are historically sharpest. The extension is incremental in design but consequential in reach: Classes 9 and 10 mark the final stretch before the Class 10 board examination, the first major academic credential most students encounter.
Independence Day as a policy stage
State governments across India have long used 15 August as a platform for welfare announcements — the symbolism of national renewal lending weight to social commitments. CM Majhi, who took office in June 2024 after the BJP's return to power in Odisha, has been building a visible education-access record. Anchoring this expansion to Independence Day ties the policy to a broader narrative of democratic entitlement: free learning materials as a right, not a subsidy.
What the 2026-27 session will reveal
The details that will define whether this announcement translates into impact — procurement timelines, distribution logistics across Odisha's 30 districts, and any supplementary budget allocation before the Odisha Legislative Assembly — are yet to be made public. Government school families in Classes 9 and 10 are the immediate stakeholders, and the academic session's calendar will test whether books reach classrooms before the year's first examinations.
A pledge made under the tricolour now has to be kept in the classroom. The real scorecard arrives when the school bell rings.
Point of View
But the political timing under CM Majhi is deliberate — anchoring a BJP-led government's social credentials to a high-visibility national occasion. The move targets the secondary stage, where economic pressure on families most often converts into dropout statistics, making it a defensible policy priority. Whether it translates into genuine impact will depend on execution: distribution infrastructure in a state with 30 districts and significant rural depth is a formidable operational challenge. The announcement sets a benchmark the Majhi government will now be held to.
NationPress
15 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which classes will get free textbooks in Odisha?
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi announced on 15 August 2026 that students in Class 9 and Class 10 in government schools will receive free textbooks, extending a scheme that already covered Classes 1 to 8.
When did Odisha announce free textbooks for Class 9 and 10?
The announcement was made on 15 August 2026 , India's 80th Independence Day, by the Chief Minister's Office of Odisha.
Who is the Chief Minister of Odisha in 2026?
Mohan Charan Majhi is the Chief Minister of Odisha, having taken office in June 2024 after the BJP won the state assembly elections.
Did Odisha already have a free textbook scheme before this?
Yes. Odisha had been distributing free textbooks to government school students in Classes 1 through 8 for several years before this announcement extended the benefit to Classes 9 and 10.
When will Class 9 and 10 students in Odisha receive the free textbooks?
The government has not yet announced a specific distribution date. Details on procurement and timelines for the 2026-27 academic session are expected to follow the Independence Day announcement.
