CM Naveen Patnaik To Launch NUA-O Magic Smart Card Portal On 5Th March: 5 T Chairman

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on March 5 will launch a portal for the registration of Nua-O Magic Smart Cards, targeting eligible students across the state. This initiative, announced by V K Pandian, the Chairman of 5T and Nabin Odisha, is geared towards providing an array of benefits to students.

Subsequent to the launch on March 5, students eligible for Plus III and PG courses can enroll for the Magic Smart Card scheme. Distribution of the Smart Cards to eligible students is scheduled for August 15, following a thorough scrutiny, verification, and completion of formalities, as confirmed by Pandian.

These Smart Cards are tailored to offer a plethora of advantages to students based on their academic and extracurricular achievements. Benefits include discounts on bus/train fares, complimentary Wi-Fi access, availability of online courses, skill enhancement opportunities, and coaching programs. Moreover, students can avail themselves of travel concessions, mobile recharge vouchers, and discounts at coaching institutes, with the overarching goal of empowering them and fostering the state’s development.

Furthermore, students can attain silver, gold, and platinum card statuses based on their performance, with each tier offering supplementary benefits. The Nutana Unnata Abhilasha (NUA) Odisha scheme, a component of this endeavor, is centered around providing continuous skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling opportunities for the state’s youth.

The Chief Minister has allocated approximately Rs 300 crore as a corpus fund for the ‘Nua-O’ program, benefiting over 4.5 lakh undergraduate students and nearly 35,000 post-graduate students. Notably, male students will receive an annual scholarship of Rs 9,000, while their female counterparts will receive Rs 10,000 annually. Additionally, male students from SC/ST and Nirman Shramik (construction worker) families, as well as female students from these demographics, will receive higher scholarship amounts.

It is imperative to mention that students whose parents pay income tax or hold permanent government positions are ineligible for the scholarship program.