Rourkela: Students of urban areas and well to do backgrounds have a better chance of getting through an entrance test for a technical or professional course as compared to their not so privileged counterparts in rural areas. Thus, many such students though meritorious, find it difficult to fulfil their career dreams.
In a welcome initiative, the Sundargarh district administration has operationalised a programme to provide bright career opportunities for such talented students from six mining-affected blocks of the district namely Koira, Kutra, Lahunipara, Rajgangpur, Kuarmunda and Hemgir.
Under this initiative, free coaching facility is being provided to students from tribal and rural areas so that they can better prepare themselves to clear national level entrance tests such as JEE, IIT, NEET, CLAT and NATA etc for admission to engineering, medicine, law and architecture in reputed institutions across the country.
“I aspired to become a doctor. My family, comprising of my mother and four siblings, had to struggle for survival after the death of my father. It became extremely difficult for my mother to run the family. I had almost suppressed my ambition. When I came across this free coaching facility introduced by the district, my dreams were revived,” revealed Biswajit Kujur from Kutra block of Sundargarh district.
Biswajit, who joined the free coaching class at Sundargarh centre, is confident of cracking NEET with good scores and getting admission to a medical college.
The administration has strategically opened the coaching centres at Sundargarh, Rourkela and Rajgangpur. The students, selected from Class X to Plus Two on the basis of their marks, are coached by experienced faculty. Under the programme, the beneficiary students are provided with free books, study materials, uniforms and internet facilities. They also get free food and accommodation.
Kapura Baske, from a tribal family of Bagichapada in Rajgangpur, shared a similar story. “I am studying in the first year of Plus Two Science. I intend to become a doctor. My father is no more, and my mother earns wages as domestic help to take care of my three siblings. I need to do extremely well in NEET for admission to a medical course. I don’t have the means to take coaching from a private institution. The free coaching facility introduced by the government has come as a god-sent opportunity for me,” said Kapura.
To provide an opportunity for the talented youth, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced a 15 percent reservation in admission to medical and technical colleges for students who have studied in government schools of the state. “The free IIT, JEE coaching centres instituted in the district are aligned with Hon’ble CM’s vision. We aim to facilitate premier coaching to eligible youngsters of rural and mining pockets in Sundargarh. This initiative will help children from tribal families, economically weaker sections and others”, says Nikhil Pavan Kalyan, Collector & DM Sundargarh.
Sponsored by District Mineral Foundation Sundargarh, the programme has admitted 400 students in the first batch through three coaching centres. The district administration has roped in two renowned coaching institutions with experience from Kota (Rajasthan), to prepare the aspirants at Sundargarh.
The district administration has taken up a similar free skill development programme to train educated youth for employment in banking and insurance, railway, police, military and paramilitary, Staff Selection Commission etc under the banner of ‘Sudakshya’. The programme supported by District Mineral Foundation, DMF is operational at Sundargarh, Rourkela and Bonai centres in the district.
