Virtual pre-examination centres to train tribal children for competitive examinations

Virtual pre-examination training centres will be set up in all Assembly constituencies in the State for skill development and train Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe children for competitive examinations, Minister for the Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes K. Radhakrishnan has said.

Addressing a departmental review meeting at the collectorate here on Thursday, Mr. Radhakrishnan said that the centres would be set up either in the community study rooms, or in the community centres and Vijnanwadis of the department.

Each centre would have a hall to accommodate at least 50 students at a time and a qualified trainer would be appointed in each centres, the Minister said.

The Tribal development department would launch a special campaign with local support in April to enrol more tribal children in schools and address the issue of dropouts, Mr. Radhakrishnan said, adding that steps would be adopted to improve the education standard of children in model residential schools for tribal children.

“Steps are under way to provide land and houses to all landless tribespeople in the State,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said. A special intervention would be made for the completion of partially constructed houses for tribespeople, for which the number of such houses would be counted with the support of accredited engineers, committed social workers and Preraks,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said, adding that the appointments of accredited engineers had helped improve the quality of construction works and completion of construction works in a time-bound manner.

The meeting assessed that 88% of the Plan fund allotted for the tribal development department was utilised during the current fiscal. A sum of ₹66.35 crore was allotted to the department of which ₹58.35 crore was utilised for various projects.

Mr. Radhakrishnan visited the house of Viswanathan, a tribesperson from Adled tribal hamlet, who was found hanging near the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, on February 11. The Minister consoled the family and handed over an emergency financial assistance of ₹2 lakh to Viswanathan’s wife Bindu.