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‘Anwesha’ offers quality education to ST and SC students
The Urban Education Programme “Anwesha” has become a game-changer in offering quality education to ST and SC students from remote rural areas in Odisha.
Bhubaneswar : The Urban Education Programme “Anwesha” has become a game-changer in offering quality education to ST and SC students from remote rural areas in Odisha.
“Anwesha”, now implemented in 17 districts across Odisha, has enrolled 22,340 students in 163 schools and 98 hostels thus helping the tribal kids acquire competitiveness and excellence.
Originating from a pilot project named “Creation of Urban Hostel Complexes and Exemption of Tuition Fees for ST, SC students” in 2015-16, it has helped to fulfil the ambition of poor parents, who cannot educate their kids in public schools due to unaffordable cost.
Initially, the programme was launched for five years from 2015 but was extended by another five years from 2020 with a cost of Rs 569.90 crore. Selected through a lottery system, the ST,SC students are taken in a ratio of 70:30 and boys and girls are in equal proportion and only from BPL households.
For the “Anwesha” hostels, the ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare department has introduced teachers in Mathematics, English and Science in addition to the existing set of tutors. The basic concept of tutors was to work as “after-school mentors” for the betterment of the ST, SC students as the concept was to nurture young minds with confidence of English medium education. The programme is implemented in Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Deogarh and Angul districts covering 8,825 ST boys, 7,884 ST girls, 2,901 SC boys and 2,730 SC girls.
The ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare department has introduced many noble ideas like subject-specific teachers and sports and recreation grants of Rs 40,000 to each hostel to provide indoor and outdoor game equipment for engaging the kids during leisure hours and building team spirit.
“These initiatives, under “Anwesha,” in the long-term, will create a base for healthy ST and SC students with smart body and mind so that they do well in the CBSE/ICSE Board examinations,” said department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Roopa Roshan Sahoo.
