Bhubaneswar, Jul 26 (PTI) KIIT Deemed to be University here on Sunday announced its decision to provide technical and professional education free of cost to children of the people succumbing to COVID-19 in Odisha.

Noting that COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and devastated normal life and livelihoods of the people of Odisha, KIIT Deemed to be University said it has extended a helping hand to the families of the Covid deceased.

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Acting on a proposal by the founder of KIIT and KISS and MP, Dr Achyuta Samanta, KIIT-DU has decided to provide technical and professional education absolutely free of cost to the children of the Covid deceased, it said in a statement.

"Sons and daughters of the Covid deceased, who are interested, can apply to different technical and professional courses of KIIT-DU, including ITI and Diploma, as per their eligibility for admission," it said.

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This facility will be available for two academic years, 2020-21 and 2021-22 only, informed KIIT authorities.

Preference will be given to the children of Covid deceased from below poverty level, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes categories.

The move will provide relief to the people of Odisha who have been made helpless by the pandemic, it said.

The Covid-19 pandemic has infected millions and caused much panic across the globe, including India and Odisha. KIIT has always reached out to the distressed people during natural calamities in the state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)