Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday announced a slew of major initiatives and policy reforms in education, government recruitment, agriculture, infrastructure, investment, skill development and social welfare while addressing the state-level Independence Day celebrations in Bhubaneswar.

Among the biggest announcements, Majhi said the state government would remove the existing six-attempt limit for the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) examination, allowing aspirants to appear for the examination until they reach the prescribed upper age limit.

He also announced that the maximum age limit for government jobs would be increased from 32 to 42 years, providing a larger window for candidates seeking government employment.

The Chief Minister said restrictions on compassionate appointments would also be relaxed. At the same time, he warned that examination corruption and irregularities would be treated as an “unpardonable offence”, with strict action against those found involved.

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Free KG-to-PG education

In a major education-sector announcement, Majhi said the government would extend free textbooks to students of Classes IX and X, expanding the existing benefit that was available only up to Class VIII.

He also announced completely free education from KG to PG, describing it as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country.

The state will establish 2,200 Godabarish Mishra Model Primary Schools, while 26,000 teachers have already been recruited and the process for another 45,000 teacher appointments has begun.

The government will also establish 18 new government colleges in peripheral districts and four new universities.

To strengthen medical education, the state is taking steps to establish medical colleges in Jajpur, Talcher and Kandhamal, along with four additional medical colleges.

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Major changes in government recruitment

Elaborating on employment-related reforms, Majhi said candidates appearing for the OCS examination would no longer be restricted to six attempts and would be allowed to appear until they reach the upper age limit.

The government has also raised the maximum age for government recruitment from 32 to 42 years.

He said the relaxation would provide greater opportunities to aspirants who have been unable to secure government jobs within the earlier age limit.

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Farmers and paddy procurement

Addressing concerns among farmers regarding the procurement system, Majhi clarified that AgriStack registration has no connection with P-PAS registration for paddy procurement.

He assured farmers that there was no need to worry and said paddy procurement would continue this year through the P-PAS registration process.

The government has also announced an initial assistance of Rs 136 crore for people affected by the ongoing floods.

The Chief Minister highlighted the government's decision to procure paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal and provide annual assistance of Rs 10,000 to farmers.

Rs 21 lakh crore investment proposals

Majhi said Odisha has received investment proposals worth Rs 21 lakh crore over the past two years.

Of these, 453 projects involving investments of Rs 10 lakh crore have been approved, while projects worth around Rs 3.5 lakh crore involving 152 projects have either been inaugurated or had their foundation stones laid.

He said these investments have created employment opportunities for around 2.5 lakh young people.

The Chief Minister also said Odisha has figured among the top five states in NITI Aayog's Investment Friendliness Index 2026.

Major infrastructure push

Majhi said Odisha is spending 6.5 per cent of its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) on infrastructure, which he described as the highest among states in the country.

The government has planned an investment of Rs 31,000 crore in three major expressway projects:

• Brahmapur–Jeypore Expressway
• Paralakhemundi–Ambabhona Expressway
• Motu–Tiringi Expressway

The Chief Minister also highlighted projects such as the proposed Puri International Airport and the BKPPER economic region as part of the state's broader infrastructure and economic development agenda.

Under Mission Power, the government aims to ensure that every village has roads, electricity and drinking water by the end of 2027.

Jobs and skill development

The government has set an ambitious target of creating at least 3 lakh employment opportunities over the next one to two years and 20 lakh jobs within five years, Majhi said.

He also highlighted Odisha's performance at IndiaSkills 2025–26, claiming that the state emerged as the national champion with 57 medals.

The government will establish three new World Skill Centre facilities and strengthen skill development infrastructure across the state.

It also plans to establish Centres of Excellence in 25 ITIs and AI laboratories in 13 ITIs, aimed at preparing young people for emerging technologies and future employment opportunities.

Women and tribal welfare

Majhi highlighted various women-centric initiatives, including the Subhadra Yojana and the Lakhpati Didi initiative.

He said more than one crore beneficiaries are covered under Subhadra and claimed that over 26 lakh women have become Lakhpati Didis.

The Chief Minister also referred to initiatives relating to Kanyabibaha and Kanya Sumangal aimed at supporting women and girls.

For SC and ST communities, the government announced population-proportionate reservation in medical and technical education.

The state is also taking steps to include more than seven lakh additional beneficiaries under the Madhubabu Pension Yojana.

Zero tolerance towards corruption

Reiterating the government's zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, Majhi said no one would be spared, from a peon to an IAS officer, if found involved in corrupt practices.

He said around 15,000 complaints have been received and 96 per cent of them have been resolved, reflecting the government's efforts to strengthen grievance redressal.

The Chief Minister also said Odisha would play a significant role in the eradication of Left-Wing Extremism, particularly after the March 31 deadline for ending the threat of “red terror”.

Vision for 2036 and 2047

Concluding his Independence Day message, Majhi called for collective efforts to build a prosperous Odisha by 2036, when the state completes 100 years, and a developed Odisha and developed India by 2047.

He said the government's development agenda would focus on education, employment, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, women's empowerment, skill development and social security to achieve these long-term goals.