JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Tribal Affairs Department on Tuesday launched a first-of-its-kind initiative to provide coaching for meritorious tribal students preparing for NEET and JEE entrance exams, officials said.
The course fee will be sponsored by the department and the candidates qualifying for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) after coaching will also be provided with a scholarship, they said.
Tribal Affairs Department Secretary Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said 100 tribal students are being selected for NEET coaching in government-empanelled coaching institutes, under two different sub-schemes.
The two sub-schemes are 'Host-50' for hostellers and 'Top-50' for other tribal meritorious students in the first year under the scheme which is being implemented through the education wing of the Tribal Research Institute.
Choudhary said the coaching fee for NEET and JEE at select institutions would be sponsored by the department after verification of attendance and evaluation.
The candidates selected for courses like MBBS, BVSc and AH, BDS, BAMS, BE, BTech and other professional courses shall be provided with an annual scholarship of Rs 70,000-75,000 totalling around Rs 4 lakh, he said.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha had recently said the Jammu and Kashmir administration accords top priority to the education of tribal students and is launching many schemes aimed at providing and supporting their quality education.
In line with schemes like Technology-Enabled Education Scheme, enhancement of diet charges and tuition rates in hostels, the tribal affairs department has launched NEET/JEE coaching scheme with immediate effect, the secretary said.
Deputy Director (Administration), Tribal Research Institute, Abdul Khabir said under the 'Top-50' sub-scheme applications have been invited from meritorious tribal students and 50 students with the highest marks, above 80 per cent in the Class 12 board exam, will be selected for coaching.
Under the 'Host-50' sub-scheme, students enrolled in hostels will be selected through a screening test, Khabir said.
The department has notified 50 per cent quota for girl students under hostel category while 25 per cent seats are reserved for girl students in the 'Top-50' scheme for NEET, he said, adding there is no income bar for the coaching scheme.