Bhubaneswar, Oct 4 (IANS): The Odisha government on Monday launched 'Chhatra Protsahan Yojana' (CPY), a scheme to provide free coaching for medical and engineering entrance examinations to ST and SC students of the State.

In a statement, the ST and SC development (SSD) department said it would provide the free coaching to 320 ST and SC students of the State, every year.

With an aim to identify and nurture the potential of ST/SC students from a young age, 7 centres of excellence have been set up in the schools run by the department. In those centres coaching will be provided.

The students for the free coaching will be selected on the basis of class 10 merit and a selection test from among the students who have passed matric from the SSD high schools.

Presently, the department is running 62 higher secondary schools in 14 districts. Every year, more than 30,000 ST and SC students appear in the annual matriculation examination.

The scheme has been prepared keeping in mind the needs of the students residing in deep tribal pockets who are unable to realize their potential due to lack of access to better coaching opportunities, the department said.

On this occasion, the department has also signed MoUs with the coaching agencies selected for this programme. These agencies will be providing on site medical and engineering coaching and preparatory training to the selected ST/SC students in the 7 Centres of Excellence.