Second batch of tribal students to summit Everest
TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS BEGUN TO SHORTLIST 200 STUDENTS FROM 502 RESIDENTIAL TRIBAL SCHOOLS TO SELECT 10 STUDENTS FOR THE BATCH
MUMBAI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the tribal students from Maharashtra for scaling Mount Everest in his Independence Day speech on Wednesday, the state government started preparations for a second batch of students to send on another Everest expedition. The tribal development department has begun to shortlist 200 students from 502 tribal residential schools to select 10 students for the batch.
As part of Mission Shaurya, a group of 10 students from Class 10 and Class 12 of tribal residential schools or Ashramshalas in Chandrapur was sent to scale Mount Everest and five of them summited the Everest in May.
The department is set to repeat the feat with a second batch, this time from across the tribal districts.
“These 200 students, from four tribal regions, are being selected based on their performance in sports activities,” said Manisha Verma, principal secretary, tribal development department.
“Students shortlisted from among them will be sent to two different agencies that we have selected for the preparations,” said Verma.
“The selection was based on the mental fortitude and physi- cal resilience of the students. After basic training by Avinash Deoskar-led Skywalk Ventures in Wardha, further responsibility of the expedition is given to Shekhar Babu’s Transcends adventures,” said Verma.
Verma said that apart from the 10 students who will be selected for the new batch, three students who could not make it to the top of Everest from the last batch will also be sent along with the new batch.
“Also, the five students who scaled the Everest will be roped in to train and guide the new batch,” she said.
Another official from the department said that the selection of the students will be completed in six months.
“We have been selecting the children with the help of professionals. The students will go through rigorous training at the institutes and will be ready to scale Everest in May, next year,” said the official.