In a review meet, Chief Secretary AP Padhi directed to fill up ST quota seats in Government medical colleges through a special drive in the coming year.
He advised to strengthen the existing infrastructure in hostels and ensure appropriate delivery of services for the ST /SC students. The Chief Secretary also directed the SC/ST Development Department to make assessment of the outcomes of the interventions taken for safety and security of the students in hostels and residential schools.
Available data shows, at present the total ST / SC population of the State is around 39.98 per cent among whom 22.85 per cent are STs and 17.13 per cent are SCs. The minority population of the State is around 5.05 per cent of the total population. There are 62 identified ST communities, 93 identified SC communities and five minority communities in the State. The literacy rate among STs/ SCs has increased by around 15 per cent and 14 per cent respectively in 2011 census in comparison to 2001 census. The present literacy rate among the STs is around 52.24 per cent and SCs is around 69 per cent. The sex ratio in ST community has grown to 1,029 against State average of 979. Similarly, the sex ratio in SC and minority community is around 987 and 998 respectively.
The academic performance of the students of these communities at high school level has also increased significantly over last seven years. In the year 2009 around 72.29 per cent of the students were successful in high school certificate examination among whom 9.68 per cent of the students were 1st divisioners. Over the years this percentage followed an increasing trend. In the year 2015 the percentage of pass students in high school certificate examination reached 95.27 per cent among whom 42.11 per cent were 1st divisioners.
Around 46 students qualified for college and universities of national and international repute. The entire study expense of these students is being provided by the Government through a popular programme Anwesa. Target has been fixed to cover 23,000 students under the programme in next five years.
The safety and security of the students in hostels and residential schools was brought to focus and tightened measures have been taken.
The issues relating to non-release of scholarship grant from the Centre for last three years, implementation of various social, educational, economic development and legal empowerment programmes of the department along with the implementation of Forest Right Act (FRA) also figured in the review.