50 century-old Odia schools set for makeover, OBCC To Carry Out Feasibility Study Of Institutes

Bhubaneswar: State govt has identified 50 Odia-medium schools which are a century-old and above for conservation under its Aitihya Vidyalaya scheme.Govt launched the scheme in Nov last year with the aim to preserve the existing infrastructure and improve the academic environment of the state’s oldest schools.

Under the scheme, the govt will ensure that heritage schools undergo conservation, restoration or upgradation work so that they are structurally safe, comply with statutory requirements, and are able to meet the modern educational needs of students.

State govt has sanctioned Rs 60 crore for the scheme in 2025-26 financial year.An official of the school and mass education department said it is a focused initiative to preserve Odia-medium high schools that are over 100 years old.

However, in a district, if there are no schools that are century-old or above, the oldest govt high school will be taken up for conservation under the scheme. “Since these schools have played an important role in shaping the social fabric of the state, the govt aims to preserve the institutes while developing them into centres of excellence,” he said.Odisha Bridge and Constructions Corporation (OBCC), which will implement the project, has now called for a feasibility study and said it will prepare detailed project reports in consultation with technical experts in heritage conservation and cultural preservation.

As a part of the feasibility study, mapping of the existing student strength and academic needs will be carried out. Besides, gaps between the existing facilities in schools and the required infrastructure will be analysed.“Many old schools continue to operate from their original buildings but their structural assessment needs to be carried out for safety. We are also planning integration of new structural elements like rainwater harvesting, solar power integration, among others, in these heritage schools,” the official added.