Nanded to offer free NEET, JEE, MHT-CET coaching to 200 rural students

The district administration in Nanded, Maharashtra, has launched an initiative for meritorious and needy children in villages. With drought conditions in different parts of the state and money tight for many families, it has decided to give 200 meritorious students from rural families free coaching for medical and engineering entrance examinations.

Under the initiative, eligible students will get free, structured preparation for national and state-level competitive examinations, namely NEET, JEE and MHT-CET. The administration's main aim is that no talented child is kept from higher education by a lack of money or weak financial circumstances.

The administration has set certain conditions for who can benefit. The scheme is meant especially for children from financially weak families in villages. Only students currently studying in Class 10 in Zilla Parishad schools, high schools and government-aided private schools in rural areas will be eligible. A total of 200 meritorious students will be selected for the programme.

According to a notice issued by the district administration, students will be selected for the coaching through an entrance test. The selection test will be held in December. Of the students who pass it, the 200 selected will be prepared by experienced teachers for medical, engineering and other programmes. The administration has appealed to all eligible village students to make the most of the opportunity.

Children from well-off families usually pay fees running into lakhs of rupees to attend large coaching institutes for these tough competitive examinations. Children from villages and poor families, on the other hand, fall behind in this race for want of money. Nanded district is facing the impact of drought, and the administration has started this initiative to give rural children an equal chance, so that they can win admission to the country's top technical and medical institutes.