more-in Puthuyugam, a unique comprehensive educational supportive programme conceived by the district administration to support meritorious students from financially backward families to pursue higher education, will get under way on Sunday. Minister for Education C. Ravindranath will launch the programme at the Town Hall. Director of Public Instruction K.V. Mohankumar will preside. The programme has been devised as a continuation of Jyothi, a similar project being run by the district administration over the last three years. “The objective is to impart quality training to ensure that no meritorious student from government and aided schools in the district miss out on educational opportunities owing to economic backwardness. Besides it does not inflict any burden on the government exchequer as the scheme is entirely powered by financial assistance received under the corporate social responsibility initiative of companies,” said District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla. Four hundred students from government and aided schools hailing from families with an annual income not exceeding ?1 lakh have been chosen as beneficiaries of the project based on an exam conducted in May. They will be given year-long coaching during weekends to crack medical and engineering entrance exams along with training in communicative English. Participants will receive 450 hours of training in entrance exams and another 50 hours in communicative English. Classes will be conducted during every second Saturday and on holidays at Government Girls’ High Schools at Ernakulam, Aluva, and Perumbavoor. Entrance coaching classes will be conducted with the support of Alphonse Kannanthanam Academy of Career Excellence, and training in communicative English will be imparted by Sutherland Global Services. Cochin Shipyard Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited have pledged support to the scheme. Former Additional District Magistrate C.K. Prakash will be the nodal officer. Mr. Safirulla said the district administration was also exploring the possibility of striking up tie-ups with higher educational institutions reserving a few seats for meritorious students from economically backward families. “It will be pursued on a case by case basis though,” he said.

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