Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
SAMS stands for Student Academic Management System. It is an online platform for e-Admission and e-Administration, through which students can apply for admission into U.G. courses and HEIs can manage admission-related academic and financial records.
e-Admission is the online admission process conducted through the SAMS portal for admission into U.G. courses. Applicants are required to apply online, select HEIs and subjects in order of preference, pay fees online and complete admission formalities as per the notified schedule.
Applicants can apply online through the SAMS portal at www.samsodisha.gov.in. The Common Application Form (CAF) and Common Prospectus (CP) will be available on the same portal.
Admission into First-Year Undergraduate (+3) Degree Courses and Integrated Courses will be conducted through SAMS for all Universities, Degree (+3) Colleges, 5-Year Integrated B.A. LL.B. Courses and Sanskrit (Shastri) Colleges under the Higher Education Department, Government of Odisha.
The traditional three-year U.G. programme has been replaced with a four-year structure. Students may earn a Certificate after completing the 1st year, a Diploma after completing the 2nd year, a Degree after completing the 3rd year and a Degree with Honours/Research or without Research after completing the 4th year, as per applicable regulations.
Applicants may choose from the following course types as offered by the participating universities: Single Major with two Minors, Double Majors, and Three Minors where Pass/General subjects are available.
Seat allotment through SAMS will be made on the basis of the opted Major-I subject for Single Major with two Minors and Double Major course types. For Three Minors, allotment will be made on the basis of General/Stream as applicable.
Allocation of Minor-I and Minor-II for Single Major, Major-II for Double Major, and Minor-I, Minor-II and Minor-III for Three Minors will be done through Post Admission Activities at the HEI level, subject to availability of seats. Applicants may modify their preferences for these subjects during the said period.
Selection for Multi-Disciplinary Courses (MDC), Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC) and Value-Added Courses (VAC) will be conducted at the college level through the Post Admission Module on the basis of merit and availability of seats. No reservation or weightage will be applicable for selection of MDC, SEC and VAC courses.
No. Certain courses such as BBA, BCA, Integrated MBA, Integrated MCA and 5-Year Integrated B.A. LL.B. do not follow the same NEP course structure. These courses will be shown separately in the CAF under non-NEP subjects.
Multiple Entry-Exit allows a student to exit and re-enter the academic programme at specified stages. A valid exit is permitted after completion of the 2nd, 4th or 6th semester with requisite credits, leading to Certificate, Diploma or Degree respectively. Exit in an odd semester shall be treated as invalid.
Yes. A student who exits after completing the 1st year or 2nd year with requisite credits may return to the degree programme within three academic sessions of exit and must complete the degree within the maximum period of seven years from the date of first admission.
Re-entry will be allowed only in the same institution from where the student exited. During re-entry, priority will be given to the previously chosen Major subject, subject to availability and applicable regulations.
Yes. The student’s credit points will be retrieved through the SAMS portal using the Registration Number and ABC/APAAR ID.
ABC/APAAR ID is a 12-digit digital identifier used to securely store and manage academic records such as degrees, diplomas, certificates, training details and co-curricular achievements. Students admitted into U.G. courses must create an APAAR/ABC ID.
Yes. Applicants are required to provide their Aadhaar Number in the CAF. APAAR ID will also be asked for. If an applicant does not have an APAAR ID, the appropriate reason must be selected from the prescribed drop-down menu.
Yes. From Academic Session 2026-27, applicants who have appeared in their Class 12 Board Examination may apply for U.G. courses even if the results have not been published. They will be given an option to upload marks later before seat allocation. For CHSE, Odisha students, marks will be retrieved directly from the CHSE portal.
An applicant must have passed the Higher Secondary (+2) Examination under CHSE, Odisha or an equivalent Board/Council to be eligible for admission into Degree courses.
A student passing +2 Science may apply for Science, Arts and Commerce streams. A student passing +2 Arts may apply for Arts and Commerce streams. A student passing +2 Commerce may apply for Commerce and Arts streams.
Applicants who have passed Diploma courses after Class 10 are eligible to apply for U.G. courses and shall enter marks of 1st year only. However, they are not eligible for Biological Science stream. Diploma applicants admitted after ITI through lateral entry are not eligible for U.G. admission.
For applicants from Boards/Councils other than CHSE, Odisha, marks will be calculated on the basis of all subjects mentioned in the mark sheet. The secured marks of all subjects will be divided by the total marks of all subjects listed in the mark sheet.
SFor compartmentally passed applicants, the average of marks secured in the concerned subjects in both examinations will be taken into consideration for determining the aggregate.
For Arts and Commerce streams, marks in English will be considered first, followed by marks in MIL, and then Date of Birth, with the elder applicant getting preference. For Science stream, marks in English will be considered first, followed by marks in Chemistry, and then Date of Birth, with the elder applicant getting preference.
An applicant must submit only one CAF. Applicants applying through two or more CAFs are liable to be rejected.
No. The CAF must be submitted online through the SAMS portal. Only the computer-generated CAF with Barcode Number will be accepted. DTP, typed or any other form of CAF shall not be accepted.
No. The SRC validation process before admission has been withheld. Applicants are advised not to visit any SRC for CAF validation. CAF validation will be done at the time of admission at the destination HEI.
Yes. Applicants may approach the Help Desk at the nearest college/SRC for guidance or contact the Sanjog Helpline at 155335 or 1800-345-6770 for admission-related queries.
For eligible CHSE, Odisha applicants who are not seeking reservation/weightage and have paid the CAF fee online, the CAF may be auto-validated by the system. Similarly, eligible SC/ST applicants from CHSE, Odisha with e-District caste certificates and online CAF fee payment may also be auto-validated.
Online verification of SC/ST caste certificates will be possible only when the certificate is generated from the Odisha e-District portal. Certificates without barcode or certificates where the applicant name does not match will be verified at the time of admission by the HEI.
Yes. During CAF filling, applicants may choose to use DigiLocker data for auto-filling demographic details, including income and residence certificate details where available. If the applicant selects “No”, the CAF must be filled manually.
Yes. After submission, an applicant may edit the CAF once through OTP validation within the approved timeline. Before final submission, applicants should carefully verify all entries.
The CAF fee is Rs. 300/- for General/SEBC category applicants and Rs. 200/- for SC/ST category applicants. CAF fees must be paid online only and no refund can be claimed after submission of the CAF.
PwD applicants with 40% or more disability, Child without Biological Parents, Green Passage Scheme beneficiaries, applicants staying at Child Care Institutions and TG/Transgender applicants are exempted from paying CAF fees, subject to verification of documents.
Admission fees will be collected online through the SAMS portal during the e-Admission period. Non-payment of admission fees within the notified timeline will lead to cancellation of selection.
Selection status will be communicated through SMS, E-mail, WhatsApp notification, website/student login and the HEI Notice Board in the destination HEI’s SAMS e-Space.
If an applicant is satisfied with the allotted HEI and Major Subject, he/she may choose Freeze, pay the admission fees online, download the Intimation Letter and report at the selected HEI to complete admission formalities.
If an applicant accepts the allotted seat but wants a better Major Subject as well as a better HEI as per higher preferences in the CAF, he/she may choose Slide, pay the admission fees and wait for subsequent rounds without reporting to the allotted HEI at that stage.
If an applicant accepts the allotted seat but wants a better Major Subject within the same HEI as per higher preferences, he/she may choose Float, pay the admission fees and wait for subsequent rounds without reporting to the allotted HEI at that stage.
No. The Intimation Letter will not be available to applicants choosing Slide or Float. It will be available only after choosing Freeze and successful payment of admission fees.
Yes. Whenever a seat is allotted, the applicant must choose the applicable option carefully and pay the admission fees. If the applicant does not choose any option, it will be treated as rejection of the allotted seat and the applicant will be out of the counselling process in subsequent rounds of that Phase.
Applicants selected against their 1st option but unwilling to take admission in that choice may alter/edit their choices once through OTP validation by clicking the Alter button available beside the Freeze button. Such applicants will be treated as fresh applicants for the 2nd Round of Phase-I Selection based on altered choices.
No. Applicants who choose Alter/Edit cannot claim the seat allotted in 1st Selection if they are not selected in the 2nd Round of Phase-I Selection on the basis of their altered/edited choices.
Phase-I admission will consist of three rounds of selection. Reservation and weightage will be applicable in the 1st Round. De-reservation may be carried out in the 2nd Round in absence of eligible applicants of a specific category. The 3rd Round will be a Spot/Waiting List Admission Round on merit basis without reservation.
Applicants must produce original certificates mentioned in the Intimation Letter and three passport-size colour photographs. Documents such as School/College Leaving Certificate, Conduct Certificate and Migration Certificate, if any, will be retained by the HEI. Other certificates will be returned after verification.
Yes. Certificates downloaded from DigiLocker will be accepted during the admission period. However, the applicant must produce original certificates after receiving them from the respective boards.
Applicants who have paid admission fees but are unable to submit the College Leaving Certificate at the time of admission may be allowed a grace period of 15 days to submit the original CLC along with an undertaking for the Phase-I admission process only. Failure to submit within 15 days will lead to cancellation of admission by the HEI.
After reconciliation, if a first-year U.G. student cancels admission or obtains CLC to join a higher choice HEI before issuance of closure of e-Admission letter for 2026-27, the HEI will refund the admission fee after deducting Rs. 500/- as processing fee. After closure of admission, refund cannot be claimed.
Yes. Both temporary and permanent PwD applicants with 40% or more disability are eligible for PwD reservation benefits. The allotment of PwD seats for each subject shall not exceed 10% of the intake capacity.
Academic fees, except mess charges, are waived for students with disabilities of 40% or more admitted in regular courses at State Public Universities, Government Colleges and Aided Colleges under the Higher Education Department. The waiver is not applicable to self-financing courses and hostel fees.
Sports certificates obtained at the Higher Secondary (+2) or equivalent level will be considered for weightage in U.G. admission. Sports certificates obtained at school level, i.e., Class 10 or below, will not be eligible for weightage.
AEDP stands for Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme. It is a UGC-approved programme implemented in NAAC-accredited HEIs with the tagline “Earn While You Learn”.
For 2026-27, AEDP has been expanded to 81 HEIs and includes Commerce, Home Science, Mathematics, Geology, Library Science, Economics, Botany, Zoology, History, English and Chemistry.
AEDP is offered as a Double Major programme with multiple entry-exit in accordance with NEP-2020. The duration is three years: two years of academic learning followed by one year of apprenticeship training. During the third year, students will undergo apprenticeship training in partnered industries/factories and receive stipend for ten months.
Yes. After successful completion of AEDP, students will be eligible to pursue higher education including postgraduate programmes and research-oriented academic pathways, subject to prevailing regulations and eligibility criteria.
Minority applicants seeking admission to Christ Degree College, Cuttack and Christian minority applicants seeking admission to Stewart Science College, Cuttack against 25% reserved seats should submit an additional CAF copy offline at the destination HEI. The first selection merit list for such reserved seats will be prepared by the HEI as per rules.
AEDP or Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programs are skill-integrated Undergraduate Programs with credited, stipended, government-monitored apprenticeships as a part of the curriculum. In Odisha they are three year programmes with the apprenticeship component in the third and final year. They help in providing both a theoretical and a skill-oriented knowledge base to the students.
The AEDP combines academic learning with practical hands-on work experience, making students job-ready and highly employable upon graduation. These Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDPs) not only provide you with industry demanded skills but also give you industry work exposure with stipend.
One gain practical skill sets that are demanded by the industry in the current job market. These skill sets are merged into the degree curriculum and on completion one will have a degree in hand with a year’s industry apprenticeship-related job experience, during which one will earn a stipend at the minimum wage rate of the State. One will be provided with a strong foundation of domain knowledge and work ethic that will make one ready for professional roles.
An apprentice is a person who has entered into a contract of apprenticeship with the employer for apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act.
Yes, if a student chooses this course you will earn a stipend during the apprenticeship. This apprenticeship would help you gain a better understanding of the industry and also provide you with hands-on experience. It will boost your degree credentials; make for a good CV and ideal for jobs.
Unlike regular degree programs, AEDPs emphasize practical training alongside academic coursework, preparing students with skills directly applicable to industry needs. Regular degree programs lack apprenticeships and often fail to align with industry requirements. AEDPs make the students ideal candidates for jobs in chosen industries and also open numerous opportunities for higher education.
No, the syllabus for the AEDP programmes is different from other courses. AEDPs retain 60% of the curricula of existing general courses and incorporate 40% of the curricula sector specific skill based subjects.
Under AEDP, the medium of Instruction and Evaluation will be in both English and Odia, the primary regional language of the state.
As per UGC Guidelines on Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Program of 2025, for apprenticeships through the NATS Portal, will be paid as per the agreement signed for the apprenticeship purpose with BOPT.
Placement locations for apprenticeships vary depending on the program and the partnerships established with industries. The availability of industries and the number of apprenticeship slots primarily determine the location of placement. Preference is given to the student’s home location and the location of their institute while making placement decisions. However, students who are willing to relocate may benefit more from diverse industry exposure under the programme. In cases where suitable apprenticeship opportunities are not available in the local area, students may be placed in the nearest appropriate industry location.
The placements of apprenticeships will be valid for the tenure mentioned in the curriculum.
The students will go for apprenticeship in their third year, i.e. their fifth and sixth semesters. The apprenticeship will be for a period of 12 months.
Yes, a student enrolled in an AEDP course will have to complete the mandated tenure for apprenticeship to graduate successfully with an undergraduate degree. Apprenticeships are integral to AEDPs, providing essential hands-on experience, thus a part of the entire learning process.
Yes, AEDPs are just like your regular degree programs, fully recognised and approved by the UGC and Universities, but with special and upgraded features.
AEDPs provide a solid foundation for further studies or specialized training in the chosen field, enhancing career prospects and opportunities for advanced degrees. A student can opt for more skill-oriented courses or Masters in the same field post the completion of their undergraduate degree with AEDP. As per point 5(iv) of UGC AEDP Guidelines, 2025, an AEDP Programme shall be treated at par with the regular UG Degree Programme for all purposes, including further education and recruitment/employment.
Yes. The classes for the theoretical part of the AEDP will be conducted in the college. For the apprenticeship part of the curriculum the students are supposed to attend the establishment where they are placed.
The students of AEDP will not be allowed to shift post admission in the programme. In case they want to discontinue, the students have to drop the year and have to take admission again in the programme of their choice in the next academic year.
No, but Industries do not let go of good apprentices .Successful apprentices who have worked with merit do usually find jobs immediately.
There will not be college placements. The BOPTs have the responsibility to provide apprenticeship linkage, which on successful completion, normally leads to jobs.
Yes, the apprenticeship component in AEDPs is credited. As per the syllabus framework being followed in Odisha a total of 40 credits have been assigned to a 12 month long apprenticeship program.
Yes, AEDPs incorporate apprenticeships into your curriculum. Your performance as an apprentice will be evaluated and assessed, it will contribute to your overall CGPA or percentage.
The assessment method of the apprenticeship component shall be as per UGC Guidelines for AEDP. Apprenticeships will be evaluated by both faculties and Industries and weightage will be as following
A. Evaluation by Industry/establishment (min 30% - max 40% weightage)
B. Evaluation by faculty member based on on-site visit(s) (min 30% - max 40% weightage)
C. Evaluation through Seminar Presentation and Viva-voce at the HEI (remaining weightage – min 20% - max 40%)
No, the AEDPs run within the existing fee structures of the various institutions which are running the program.
The work of the state government will be to oversee the programme, facilitate quick University approvals and motivate the colleges constantly.
Qualified existing faculty at the colleges will teach the AEDP curriculum.
Exam schedules are typically aligned with academic semesters, and specific timelines will be provided by your educational institution.
As per UGC AEDP Guidelines 2025, the Board of Practical Training (BoPT) has been designated as the focal agency for driving apprenticeship implementation through the tripartite contract framework and for facilitating linkages between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and industry. The Higher Education Department (HED), Government of Odisha, will also play a major role to select Industries by coordinating with HEIs, industries, and BoPT, ensuring smooth execution, monitoring, and scaling of the programme across the State.
The BoPT-ER or Board of Practical Training – Eastern Region is a Central Government entity which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Education. It is responsible for Organizing/Mobilizing tripartite agreements between the student, the HEI and the Industry establishment, Onboarding HEIs onto the NATS portal, Facilitating apprenticeship placements and apprenticeship evaluation.
Yes. Registration of both Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and students on the NATS (National Apprenticeship Training Scheme) portal is mandatory as per the guidelines for implementation of AEDP.