Forty-nine schools older than a century are about to get a second life — and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi wants to make sure they keep their soul while gaining a modern spine. The Chief Minister's Office of Odisha announced on Thursday, 30 July 2026 that the state government has launched a phased overhaul of its most storied government schools, committing roughly ₹4 crore per school for comprehensive redevelopment.

The post, written in Odia, states that CM Majhi is 'always committed to the preservation and modernisation of Odisha's educational heritage.' In the first phase, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) have already been prepared for 13 of the 49 schools. The remaining 36 schools are slated for development in subsequent phases, with the state government tagging the Prime Minister's Office to signal alignment with national education priorities.

What ₹4 crore per school is meant to do

Each school in the programme will receive a full-spectrum upgrade — not a cosmetic coat of paint, but what the government describes as 'samgra rupantaran' (comprehensive transformation). The plan holds heritage character intact while layering in modern classrooms, sanitation, libraries, and digital infrastructure. At ₹4 crore a school across all 49 institutions, the total outlay would touch roughly ₹196 crore if fully executed — a meaningful bet on public schooling in a state where government schools serve the majority of students.

A national pattern, an Odisha push

Odisha's move fits squarely into a broader trend sweeping Indian state capitals: the targeted rehabilitation of pre-independence and early post-independence schools that carry institutional memory but crumbling infrastructure. The National Education Policy 2020 explicitly calls for upgrading school infrastructure while integrating heritage conservation — and Odisha is now operationalising that mandate with rupees and DPRs, not just policy language.

The government's framing is deliberate: heritage preservation, quality education, and future-ready infrastructure are named as the three pillars. That sequencing matters — it tells communities that the old school their grandparents attended will not be demolished in the name of progress.

Phase one's 13 schools: the real test

With DPRs ready for the first 13 schools, the clock now moves to tendering, contractor selection, and actual ground-breaking. How quickly those 13 sites move from paper to construction will determine the credibility of the larger 49-school promise. Completion timelines and budget releases for the remaining 36 have not yet been announced — those disclosures will be the next milestone to watch.

For students sitting in classrooms built before independence, the wait has already been long. The government's task now is to make sure the blueprints become buildings.