New Delhi: The Odisha Government has decided to introduce a certificate programme on mutual funds for students pursuing commerce, management and related courses in state-run colleges and universities to enhance their financial literacy and employability, officials said on Wednesday.

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According to a notification issued by the Higher Education Department, the 30-hour programme will be offered to students enrolled in BCom, BBA, Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS), BA in Economics and Commerce, MBA and MCom courses.

The training will also prepare students for the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) Series V-A Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination, officials said.

The programme will be rolled out in a pilot phase across 97 selected colleges and universities located within a 100-km radius of major urban centres, including Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jeypore, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Rourkela and Sambalpur, they said.

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Around 60 students from each institution will be selected to undergo the course, which will be offered free of cost, they added.

The initiative follows an MoU signed in May between the Higher Education Department and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to promote financial literacy through investor awareness programmes and skill development initiatives for students.

Officials said the certification would equip students with industry-relevant knowledge and improve their employment prospects in the financial services sector, enabling them to pursue careers as mutual fund distributors, financial advisers, insurance advisers and stock brokers.

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