A silent revolution in Bidar

Source: the Hindu ..

   
District admn. is admitting meritorious students from poor families in reputed colleges for free
When stories of private colleges charging hefty fees are doing the rounds across the State, a silent revolution is under way in Bidar. The district administration, using nothing but goodwill, is admitting meritorious students from poor families in reputed private colleges, free.

Around 300 students were admitted in 2014 and around 450 choose good private schools in an open counselling session in 2015. And, as Wednesday’s results showed, they have done well too. In a district with an average pass percentage of 52, the pass percentage in this group of children is 72.

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A quick analysis showed that 23 students of the 2014 batch had achieved distinction, 114 scored a First Class, 30 passed in Second Class and two cleared in Pass class. Officials are yet to trace the results of around 70 other students, till Wednesday evening.

Of the 233 whose results were available, 167 had passed, but 64 could not clear the examination.

In 2014, a team led by P.C. Jaffer, the then Deputy Commissioner, organised a written test in Kannada, Marathi, Urdu and English for students who had completed SSLC examination.

Later, a mass counselling session was organised in the Zilla Rang Mandir that allowed students to choose colleges. Students were ranked on the basis of their marks in PU and the selection test. Those who scored the highest got to choose first.

The procedure was repeated, with some refinements in 2015. Students from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minority communities and girls were placed in hostels run by the department of Social Welfare, Backward Classes and Minorities Development and Women and Child Development.

Some colleges also housed students in their hostels for free or at subsidised fees.

Sai Kumar, who came from a poor farm family, has scored 95 per cent marks. He chose Shaheen PU College in Humnabad during counselling.

The college committee waived not only his tuition fees but also canteen and hostel fees. He has scored 99 in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Kannada. He has scored 96 in Mathematics and 82 in English. He is hoping to get a seat in the Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences as it would help him commute from his native town of Humnabad.

“We are inspired by this initiative, and we will continue it,” says Anurag Tewari, Deputy Commissioner. This unique scheme is an extension of the spirit of the Right to Education Act. It helps both the colleges and students, he said.

“The average fee in private PU Colleges is in the range of Rs. 30,000 to Rs 60,000. Each poor family that send its children to colleges under this scheme has saved between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1 lakh in two years,” says Inayat Ali Shindhe, Education Officer, who is coordinating the scheme

Source:http://m.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/a-silent-revolution-in-bidar/article8647745.ece