In tune with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s digital India initiative, the Odisha government recently asked the colleges getting government assistance to ensure a digital payment gateway for students.
Akshay Mohanty, joint secretary-Department of Higher education recently wrote to the higher education director Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, suggesting the idea of making the aided colleges digital, the Times of India reported.
“I request you to impress upon all the aided colleges (which get financial assistance from the government) across the state to set up required infrastructure in order to facilitate payment of any kind of fees or any service being provided to the students through any of the digital payment mode: internet banking, credit/debit cards, Aadhar-based POS or Unified Payment Interface(UPI) system at no extra cost to students.”
Reportedly, the State government is also working out the essentials for implementing digital payment options for the colleges directly run by it.
Similar options are to be provided for all other kinds of payments, ranging from hostel fees to college canteens.
The state government has also planned universal Aadhar enrollment for all students between Class IX and Class XII.
