Jharkhand to provide coaching to poor students

RANCHI: The Hemant Soren government will provide fully subsidised coaching to over 35,000 school students for competitive examinations after Plus Two and for graduate and postgraduate students who are aspiring to appear in UPSC, bank, railway, state public service and staff selection commission examinations from next year.
The decision on the two subsidy schemes called Mukhyamantri Shiksha Protsahan Yojana (MSPY) and Eklavya Prashikshan Yojanawas taken by the cabinet in its meeting on Thursday.
The MSPY aims to provide wholly-subsidised coaching to students who have passed Class 12 in premier private coaching institutes of the state for national-level entrance examinations to engineering, medical, law, fashion designing, journalism and mass communication and hotel management courses.
Over 8,000 students, whose family incomes do not come under the income tax brackets, will be able to opt for the scheme through a state-level entrance examination to secure seats in coaching institutes which will be empanelled by the state higher and technical education department.
Under the Eklavya Prashikshan Yojana, over 27,000 students will be provided coaching through premier private coaching institutes for national-level job examinations such as UPSC, Jharkhand Public Service Commission, Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Board and banking.
"The selection process will be the same as MSPY and the students will be given monthly stipends of Rs 2,500 under both the schemes," Rahul Purwar, secretary of the higher and technical education department, said.
The cabinet also approved the Guruji Credit Card Yojana. Under the scheme, students studying in premier colleges and universities across various academic disciplines can take education loans of up to Rs 15 lakh from banks at cheap interest rates (4%).
"Of the total loan amount, 30% can be used for non-institutional expenses. Borrowers will be required to pay their EMIs over a 15-year period, beginning a year after the completion of their courses," Purwar added.
The council of ministers also approved the Mukhyamantri Sarthi Yojana of the labour department. The scheme aims to set up-skilling centres in every block and provide job-oriented training (residential and non-residential) in trades such as carpentry, electricians, plumbing, mechanics and others.
"Candidates in non-residential skilling courses will be given a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000. They will also be given a monthly stipend between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 (Rs 1,500 for women and Divyang) for up to one year in case they are unable to find employment or livelihood," labour secretary Prawin Kumar Toppo said.
Cabinet secretary Vandana Dadel said all four schemes will be launched by President Droupadi Murmu at the Statehood Day function in Ranchi on November 15.
As many as 34 proposals were approved by the cabinet during Thursday's meeting.