As part of the ‘Army HPCL Kashmir Super 50’ initiative, the Indian Army is providing free coaching facilities to students in northern Kashmir preparing for competitive medical exams. The scheme also extends to providing financial aid by sponsoring fees for students gaining admission to elite medical colleges across the country, ANI news agency reported.
Currently, 30 boys and 20 girls students from the North Kashmir region are studying in the army sponsored coaching. The project started in 2018 with 30 students, 25 of whom passed the entrance exam for medical colleges. These students are selected from schools in the region based on their performance on a written exam. Last year, the strength of the coaching was increased from 30 to 50, allowing more girl candidates to participate.
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Speaking of the plan, Anupreeta Shandilya, a teacher in the army-sponsored coaching, said the boys have achieved a 100 percent success rate so far and hoped that even the girls will do well in the near future. She added: “I have been teaching here since July last year. As the students come, we gradually take them through the topics, starting with the basics. It’s really surprising that they all want to get it right, no matter what area they come from.”
Major General SS Slaria, GOC, Kilo Force, said the situation in Northern Kashmir has improved dramatically in recent years and is moving towards normalcy. Adding that the region has shown improvement in parameters such as the decline in terror cases and an upward trend in the tourism industry, General Slaria said the youth should choose their heroes well. “If they pick them right, they’re on the right track,” he said.
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Earlier in December last year, the military organized a residential coaching center for underprivileged students from the distant hilly areas in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. The coaching aims to assist the students of the valley in their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare them for competitive exams for admission into Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya, army schools and Sainik schools
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