India News | Mayurbhanj's Tribal Students Break Barriers as 40 Secure Engineering College Seats, Two Make It to NIT
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. A special education initiative by the Mayurbhanj district administration has helped around 40 tribal students secure admission to engineering colleges, including two seats in NITs. Under the 'Medhabhi Mayurbhanj' programme, selected students received free coaching and support to prepare for professional entrance examinations.
Mayurbhanj (Odisha) [India], August 4 (ANI): In a major boost to tribal education in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, around 40 students have secured admission to engineering colleges, including two who have made it to National Institutes of Technology (NITs), following focused efforts by the district administration to improve access to professional education.
The initiative is being carried out under the district administration's education programme 'Medhabhi Mayurbhanj', aimed at improving learning outcomes and literacy levels from primary education to higher secondary classes.
Under the programme, a special initiative called 'Achievers' was launched to prepare tribal students for competitive examinations for professional courses such as engineering and medicine.
Speaking to ANI, Mayurbhanj District Magistrate Hemakanta Say said that the initiative was started to provide better opportunities to tribal students through focused coaching and academic support.
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"Under 'Medhabhi Mayurbhanj', we started another initiative called 'Achievers'. When we started it last time, around 16 to 17 students got admitted into engineering colleges. This year, we continued it and made the selection process a bit stronger," Say said.
He said coaching facilities were provided at Bangriposi for students from Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and SSD Department schools. Students were selected through an entrance test and around 40 to 50 students were provided free food and coaching facilities for medical and engineering entrance examinations.
"So far, through counselling, around 40 students have been selected for admission into engineering colleges in branches like Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. Out of these, two students got into NIT, while others got selected for State Engineering Colleges. Counselling is still ongoing, and we hope for more selections," the DM added.
The district administration said the number of students entering engineering colleges has increased significantly compared to last year, when around 16-17 students secured admissions.
One of the students who secured admission to NIT Jamshedpur in Electrical Engineering belongs to a farming family. Say said that such achievements are a major milestone for students coming from rural and economically weaker backgrounds.
"Next time, we will try to increase the number of NIT selections. The student who got into NIT Jamshedpur for Electrical Engineering comes from a very humble background; his father is a small farmer. Getting into an NIT is a huge milestone for them. It secures his future, improves the living standard for the next generation, and helps in mainstreaming society as a form of empowerment," he said.
The administration is also working towards improving tribal education infrastructure through central government schemes such as PM-JANMAN and Aadi Karmayogi Abhiyaan, with the aim of creating better learning opportunities for tribal youth.
Officials said that the success of these students is inspiring other children in villages across Mayurbhanj to pursue higher education and aim for professional careers.
The district administration is also focusing on medical entrance preparation, hoping that students from the region will secure admission to government medical colleges in the coming years. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)