Super 50: an initiative for tribal students to fulfil dreams

State launches a residential programme for smart, young minds to prepare them for engineering and medical exams

First batch: The group of 50 students selected after a two-stage exam process; (below) Manisha Verma, principal secretary, Tribal Development Department, with the children on Wednesday.

Maharashtra’s Tribal Development Department in association with the Pace Educational Trust on Tuesday launched an academic programme for young tribal students aspiring to be doctors and engineers.

Inspired by the work of Patna’s Anand Kumar and his Super 30, which prepares smart but underprivileged students to sit for IIT entrance exams, the Super 50 programme will mentor 50 most meritorious tribal students from the State and prepare them for engineering and medical exams.

According to a GR issued by the Government of Maharashtra on August 2, the IIT’ians Pace Academy proposed the project for tribal students who have passed their Class X examinations. The Tribal Development Department then formed a working committee for its evaluation, and submitted a proposal to the Union government. After seeking approvals, the department held a first round of the entrance test on June 28, followed by a second round on July 14.

After evaluation, 34 students were selected for the engineering course and 16 for the medical course training programme, the GR said. All selected students are from government-run Adivasi ashram schools, Eklavya Nivasi ashram schools, and English medium ashram schools.

The students will be trained at the Vagad Pace Global School, Virar, under a dedicated faculty, and the coaching will include Class XI and XII of CBSE syllabus and preparations for entrance tests like NEET and JEE. It will be a two-year residential programme, where the students will be provided hostel and mess facilities, a tablet, NCERT books and career counselling.

The programme was launched at the Vagad Pace School on Tuesday by Dr. Ashok Uike, Maharashtra’s Tribal Development Minister. Dr. Uike said,“Students should have strong willpower to do something in life, but it is not possible without self-confidence. With the ‘Super 50’ scheme, I am certain that these tribal students will achieve higher levels of success and knowledge.”

Manisha Verma, Principal Secretary, Tribal Development Department, said, “Over the next two years, these tribal students will work hard and be ready to fulfil their dreams of becoming successful engineers and doctors.”