Nagpur offers financial aid to meritorious girl students

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has launched a new initiative to help girl students in municipal schools. The program will offer Rs 4,000 per year to girls who have over 80% attendance. This initiative aims to encourage more girls to enroll in these schools. The announcement was made by municipal commissioner Abhijit Chaudhary during the budget presentation on March 21. Along with the financial assistance, the NMC will provide additional resources such as STEM and Robotics Labs, skill development programs, and coaching for competitive exams. These efforts align with India's "Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao" campaign, which promotes the education and welfare of girls. To help students with mental health, NMC schools will now have counselling services. These services will assist students in dealing with everyday challenges and preventing depression. The NMC has allocated Rs 1 crore for this purpose. In further educational reforms, the NMC will integrate pre-primary classes with primary schools, starting education at the age of three. Qualified teachers will be hired for schools with more than 20 kindergarten students, with a budget of Rs 55 lakh for this initiative. The "Super 75" program has also been introduced to support top students in preparing for fields like engineering and medicine. Each year, 75 students from class 8 will be selected for specialized coaching until class 10. They will receive uniforms, textbooks, and travel allowances. Additionally, under the Navchetana program, digital boards have been installed in 18 schools, and computer labs have been set up in five. Advanced science laboratories will also be established in junior colleges and secondary schools to enhance students' scientific skills. Next year, the NMC plans to set up more STEM and Robotics labs.