Bhubaneswar: Poor but meritorious students from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities seeking admission to state-run medical and engineering colleges will not have to pay fees at the time of enrolment or for the next six months.Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has issued directions in this regard to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent eligible SC and ST students from taking admission after clearing competitive examinations.Officials say many such students face hardship at the time of admission, as scholarship amounts from the Centre and state are usually released only after completion of formalities, which often takes three to four months.The decision is expected to benefit students who qualify for admission but struggle to arrange money for immediate expenses.The state government is likely to issue detailed guidelines soon.Many SC and ST students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds face significant challenges in securing admissions to state-run medical and engineering colleges due to financial constraints. Recently, the TOI highlighted the case of a meritorious tribal student who was struggling to arrange funds for admission to a medical college in the state. Kabita Hikaka (19), daughter of a daily-wager from Sahada village under Bissamcuttack block in Rayagada district, cracked the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) this year, securing an ST rank of 137 and overall 4,027, earning an MBBS seat at Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, Koraput. Following the TOI report, Hikaka, however, received financial help from several quarters for her admission scheduled between Aug 28 and Sept 6.Her case is not isolated. In previous years, several SC and ST students have found themselves in similar situations. Some have even been forced to discontinue their studies midway due to delays or a lack of financial assistance. “Government assistance can make a huge difference in helping such students continue their education,” said social activist Susanta Sahoo.
