Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has extended financial support to a tribal student who wants to become a doctor.
Ifu Mallick, who belongs to a poor family in Bagramila village in the tribal-dominated Kandhamal district, has cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and has got admission in MBBS at Saheed Lakshman Nayak (SLN) Medical College and Hospital in Koraput district.
However, Mallick was unable to arrange for admission fees and other expenses. This came to the notice of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who directed the ST & SC Development Department to take up on priority for necessary and immediate action.
The Department has immediately swung into action and within 6 hrs Mallick has been sanctioned an amount of Rs 62950 towards expenses of his first-year course.
This has been funded by State Government under its own scheme of Financial Assistance for ST students, the Department said.
The Chief Minister has started this initiative so that meritorious ST students are able to pursue their studies, especially in professional colleges.
Secretary to CM (5T) VK Pandian spoke to Ifu Mallick and invited him to meet the Chief Minister when he is in Bhubaneswar.
The 5T Secretary has wished him well in the future.