Banishree Scholarship (Odisha)

The Banishree Scholarship is a financial assistance scheme of the Government of Odisha that supports students with disabilities through their educational journey. Operated by the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department, the scheme covers learners from primary school through postgraduate, technical, and vocational courses, including students pursuing courses outside Odisha when those courses are unavailable in-state.

Permanent residents of Odisha holding a valid disability certificate from a competent Medical Board are eligible to apply. Family annual income must not exceed sixty thousand rupees, with students from Below Poverty Line households exempt from the income certificate requirement. Recipients cannot simultaneously avail any other State or Central Government scholarship.

Monthly stipend amounts increase with class level: four hundred rupees for primary school, five hundred rupees for middle and high school, and six to seven hundred rupees for higher secondary, college, postgraduate, technical, and vocational courses. Visually impaired students receive an additional Reader's Allowance, and orthopedically handicapped students with seventy-five percent or higher disability receive a Transport Allowance.

There is no application fee, and the scholarship is paid in two installments each year via Direct Benefit Transfer to the student's bank account. Applications are submitted online through the SSEPD Odisha portal, verified by the head of institution, and sanctioned by the department. Continuation depends on regular attendance, with up to three months of medical absence permitted without stoppage.