'Prayas' pays off: 138 from Naxal areas get into engg colleges

These students studied at the state government-run 'Prayas' residential college here and appeared for various entrance exams for admission in professional colleges.

A total of 174 students cleared the state-level Pre- Engineering Test (PET) and All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) this year.

Of these, 138 students have got admissions in engineering colleges in Chhattisgarh and other parts of the country, the sources said.

Setting up 'Prayas' over two years ago was part of the state government's 'Mukhya Mantri Bal Bhavishya Surakha Yojana'.

The multi-phase scheme is aimed at providing education to students from the Naxal-affected districts of the state and other tribal or backward areas.

As part of the project, selected children from these areas are given education from classes 1 to XII at a residential school in Dantewada.

Under the next phase, students from seven Naxal-hit districts who have cleared class X are given admission in class XI at 'Prayas', where they undergo special coaching for securing entrance in medical and engineering colleges.

'Prayas', a sprawling education-cum-residential complex, was started by the Government in July 2010.