Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India]: The Odisha government launched ‘Chatra Protsahan Yojana'(CPY) on Monday which will provide free coaching to (ST) students in the state for medical and engineering entrance examinations. The ST and SC Development Department of State government will open seven Centres of Excellence in SC and ST schools across the state where 320 such students every year will be provided free education. Centres will encourage the students of Higher Secondary Schools towards Higher education. Its main intent is to identify and nurture the potential ST/SC students from a young age for higher education in Medical and Engineering, the govt said. Students will be selected on the basis of Std X merit and a selection test from among the students who have passed matric from SSD High Schools. Every year more than 30.000 ST/SC students appear in the Annual of Higher Secondary School Examination. MoUs are signed with the Coaching Agencies selected for this programme. These agencies will be providing on-site Medical and Engineering coaching and preparatory training to the selected ST/SC students in the proposed Centres of Excellence. During the event organized to inaugurate the scheme, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Dr Amar Patnaik handed over 200 tablets from the MPLAD funds for the students who will be undergoing the programme. Was delighted to hand over 200 tablets from MPLAD for meritorious SC & ST students of our state who would be given specialised coaching for engineering & medical examinations under the Chatra Protshahan Scheme of Government of Odisha, Dr Amar Patnaik tweeted.
