Chief Minister’s super talented children scholarship launched

Ananya Panda

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 7

Moving closer towards achieving its pre-poll promise, the Delhi Government today rolled out a scholarship scheme titled— “‘Chief Minister’s Super Talented Children Scholarship Scheme” for Class XI and XII students of government schools aspiring for country’s top engineering institutions and premier medical colleges. 

As a part of the pilot project, starting from the current academic year, 400 students of government schools based on merit will be offered scholarship and professional coaching and guidance for high-level entrance exams IIT/JEE/AIPMT, among others. The government has already roped in three private coaching institutes— Vidyamandir, FIITJEE and Aakash— for the exercise and they are said to have agreed to provide training at around one-third of their normal fees. 

Announcing the move, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, also holding the education portfolio, said that due to lack of resources and guidance, which gives an edge to students in private schools—most of the children studying in government schools do not have access to training for professional courses, including IITs, NITs, Medical Colleges, Dental Colleges etc. 

With admission to IITs and premier medical institutions is highly competitive and children need not only the regular classroom teaching at the school level but also rigorous coaching and training by reputed coaching institutes, this scheme would ensure a level playing field, Sisodia added. 

Sisodia observed that the nearly 5-10 per cent students who choose science stream in government schools score the highest compared to other disciplines of government schools yet they hardly make it to the prestigious courses. 

In a week, Directorate of Education will carry out screening test for identifying the talent pool studying in Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya and 54 model Delhi government schools. Thereafter, 250 students of Class XI will be selected in the coaching institutes and 150 students of Class XII will also be selected this year for medical and engineering tests. 

Each class XI student will undergo an intensive training of at least 850 hours at the designated training institute closest to his/her residence. The institute is supposed to conduct regular model tests and share feedback with parents of students as well as online with the principals of the respective schools. Similarly, Class XII students will undergo, at least, 500 hours of intensive training capsule at the designated institute.