Jharkhand CM inaugurates free coaching institute for ST students

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday inaugurated a free coaching institute for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students preparing for medical and engineering examinations in the state.

The Dishom Guru Shibu Soren Engineering (JEE) and Medical (NEET) Coaching Institute has been set up in a welfare department building at Hindpiri here, where 300 selected students will be provided specialised coaching for competitive examinations, an official said.

“A new chapter has been added to uplift our upcoming generation. This institute will help tribal students crack competitive examinations in medical and engineering fields,” Soren said while inaugurating the facility.

The state government has tied up with Motion Education under a public-private partnership (PPP) model to run the institute.

A total of 300 students, including 168 girls, have been selected for the inaugural batch.

The chief minister urged the welfare department and the private agency to create an additional batch for meritorious students who could not qualify in the eligibility test for admission to the institute.

Soren said the government is running several schemes to support the education of poor, deprived and tribal students and make their future better.

“We are running the Savitribai Phule scheme for girl students. Around 30 students are being provided pre- and post-matric scholarships, and 80 Chief Minister Schools of Excellence have been started on par with private schools. Another 100 such schools are in the pipeline,” he said.

The CM said students can avail a bank loan up to Rs 15 lakh for education under the Guruji Students Credit Card at a nominal interest rate of 4 per cent.

“The government has also decided to open a library in each district where all kinds of study materials will be available. Besides, we are also providing the facility of an e-library,” he said.

Earlier, Soren unveiled a life-size statue of JMM founder Shibu Soren on the campus of the institute and offered floral tributes.

Former chief minister Shibu Soren died on August 4 while undergoing treatment at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi. He was 81.