Education For Poor Students From Northeast India

Imphal, Jun 4 : The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) in collaboration with a Hyderabad-based educational foundation will facilitate free higher education to poor students of the region.

Announcing this here today, Neso secretary-general Sinam Prakash said he would leave for Hyderabad on Thursday to meet officials of Dr YSR Educational and Welfare Foundation to finalise the matter.The foundation offers free education to students of the Northeast through Neso. The courses offered include four-year bachelor degree in technical and medicinal courses.

Around 1,000 poor students of the Northeast belonging to SC, ST, OBC and minority categories can be accommodated in an academic session.

The foundation has promised free education for poor students in MNR Engineering College, MNR Pharmacy Nursing College, MNR Dental College, PIRM Engineering College, PRRM Engineering College, Samskruti College of Engineer and Technology, Bhandari Srinivas Institute of Technology and Raja Mahendra College of Engineering and Technology.

Prakash said these institutes reserve 20 per cent seats for poor and needy students.

“This is a project through which a meritorious poor student can study any professional degree completely free of cost. This project is implemented only to remove educational backwardness from poor sections of society,” the management of the foundation informed Neso in a letter.

Prakash said the foundation’s offer would immensely help poor and backward students of the region where higher technical educational institutions were scarce.

“Every year a large number of students seek higher technical education outside the region. However, poor parents cannot send their children outside, even if they are talented,” he said.

Appreciating the initiative of the foundation, Prakash said education is the best tool for the region’s development.

“This is the first time that deserving students of the region will complete get free education. They do not need to pay any tuition fees, library fees, laboratory fees or hostel fees,” he said. Prakash said after finalising everything Neso would sign an MOU with the management of the foundation on the free courses.

Students belonging to the SC, ST, OBC and minority categories and whose parents’ annual income is less than 2.5 lakh with a minimum pass percentage of 50 can apply though the constituent organisation of Neso.