Odisha to Form New School Management Committees Across Government Schools from July 1

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has announced the formation of new School Management Committees (SMCs) in all government and government-aided schools across the state from July 1, following the completion of the tenure of the existing SMCs and School Management and Development Committees (SMDCs) on June 30, 2026.

According to the latest guidelines issued by the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA), every school will now function under a single School Management Committee, replacing the earlier system. To improve governance, two dedicated sub-committees—a School Building Committee and an Academic Committee—will also be established to oversee infrastructure development and academic activities.

The size of each SMC will depend on the student strength of the school. Schools with enrolment of up to 100 students will have committees comprising 12 to 15 members. Institutions with 100 to 500 students will have 15 to 20 members, while schools with more than 500 students will form committees consisting of 20 to 25 members.

The new guidelines emphasise greater community participation by ensuring that at least 75 per cent of the committee members are parents or guardians of enrolled students. Women will constitute a minimum of 50 per cent of the committee’s total membership. Adequate representation has also been made mandatory for parents belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Children with Special Needs (CWSN).

The government has laid down a fixed schedule for completing the reconstitution process. Parent-Teacher Meetings along with the selection or election of committee members will take place between July 1 and July 15. The SMCs are to be officially constituted by July 17, while the resolutions and consolidated reports must be submitted to the respective OSEPA authorities by July 22.

The newly formed committees will play a crucial role in supervising school functioning, including monitoring student attendance, implementation of the Mid-Day Meal programme, maintenance of school infrastructure, campus safety, financial management, and execution of government welfare schemes. The committees will also be required to hold regular monthly meetings and maintain proper records of their decisions.

The initiative is aimed at enhancing transparency, strengthening community involvement in school administration, and improving the quality of education in accordance with the provisions of the Right to Education Act, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the Samagra Shiksha programme.