Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has directed the ST & SC Department to release funds for the MBBS course of Kandhamal district’s Ifu Mallick, a promising scholar.
Secretary to CM VK Pandian spoke to Ifu and invited him to meet the CM at the Naveen Niwas when he visits Bhubaneswar.
Ifu cleared NEET and was selected for admission in MBBS at the Saheed Lakshman Nayak (SLN) Medical College in Koraput. He was unable to arrange for admission fees and other expenses. This came to the CM’s notice and he directed the ST and SC Department to take this up on priority and make necessary arrangements.
Following the CM’s directives, the department sanctioned Rs 62,950 towards expenses of Ifu’s first-year course. The amount was sanctioned within six hours of the CM’s direction. This has been funded by the State Government under its own scheme of Financial Assistance for ST students.
The CM has started this initiative so that meritorious ST students are able to pursue their studies, especially in professional colleges. Notably, the State Government fully bears the cost of studies and accommodation of SC and ST students getting into national institutes on merit.
Pandian talked to Ifu at length.