THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Here’s a good news for scheduled caste BTech students who are victims of the recently launched year out system. The Scheduled Castes Development Department is working on a scheme to provide remedial classes for students who fail in BTech examinations. The scheme is a revised form of an earlier version implemented through the directorate of technical education. The new scheme will be executed through two agencies - the Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD) and Institute for Societal Advancement.
The department’s working group has sanctioned the IHRD’s proposal and the ISA’s proposal is awaiting final clearance, according to PM Ali Asgar Pasha, Director, SCD Department. In the first phase, students of government and aided engineering colleges will benefit from the scheme. “Unlike the earlier scheme, this would be a need-based coaching. The special coaching and the subsequent progress of each student will be monitored,” Pasha said.
Beneficiaries of the scheme will be identified by scheduled caste development officer with the help of institution heads. Classes will be held after the college time and on Saturdays and Sundays. Special incentive will be given to students who make commendable progress.A rough estimate by the department found that 70 per cent of engineering students belonging to the scheduled castes category have back papers or are drop-outs. It expects the new scheme would bring a positive change in the higher education sector.