10% seats reserved for students of pvt, aided institutes in meritorious schools
BATHINDA: Students enrolled in private institutes will now be eligible for admission to all 10 meritorious schools in the state from the next academic session.
As per a circular issued on February 20 by the Society for Promotion of Quality Education for Poor and Meritorious Students, a constituent of the Punjab government’s education department, bright students of aided and private schools affiliated with the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), can also apply for the admissions to Class 11 in meritorious schools.
Till now, students only from government schools were eligible to study in these schools offering courses in medical, nonmedical and commerce streams. Last year, only 32% of government school students qualified for admission to these schools.
As per the new guidelines, students studying in private schools whose parents are registered with the Punjab government’s smart ration card scheme, earlier known as atta dal scheme, meant for underprivileged families are also eligible for admissions
ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR ADMISSION TO START FROM FEBRUARY 24; EXAM TO BE HELD ON APRIL 16
to meritorious schools, said a senior functionary of the state education department. 10% seats will be reserved for students from private schools, reads the circular. Candidates will be charged ₹200 for online registration for the common admission test.
Students who score is 70% (general category) and 65% (in case of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe) in their Class 10 exam are eligible for admission to the state-funded boarding institutes.
Pargat Singh, principal of a meritorious school in Ferozepur, said the online registration for the admission test will start from February 24 to March 17. He said as per the scheduled released by the state authorities, the entrance examination will be conducted on April 16 and list of the successful candidate will be displayed on April 22.
A pet project of the then SADBJP government, 10 meritorious schools was set up in 2014 to make quality education available to bright students, who score 80% and above in Class 10. The aim of these residential schools was to impart quality education to students belonging to weaker sections. Under the scheme, students are provided accommodation, education, books/stationery, food and other facilities free of cost. They are also provided extra coaching for the entrance examinations.
State education department officials say in the last few years, several students from meritorious schools have successfully cracked the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE main) and National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
The 10 meritorious schools are in Bathinda, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Ludhiana, Mohali, Ferozepur, Talwara (Hoshiarpur), Ghabdan (Sangrur) and Gurdaspur.