A Namakkal-based engineering college has come forward to offer free engineering education to a rehabilitated child labourer, whose achievement in the Plus Two public examination was >recently highlighted by The Hindu .
On behalf of Mahendra Engineering College, Namakkal, District Collector C. Samayamoorthy handed over the admission card to the outstanding student, M. Muthukumar of Sankarankovil, here on Monday.
Even as he was working at a power-loom at Sankarankovil in 2004, Muthukumar, a school dropout, was rescued by the officials attached to the National Child Labour Project and was admitted in the special school, where he completed his informal education. Subsequently, he was shifted to the regular school in 2006, where he was admitted in standard V. He scored 1024 out of 1,200 in the Plus Two public examination this year,
The Hindu carried a story on the rehabilitated child labourer after the results were declared recently. Impressed by his performance, Namakkal-based Mahendra Engineering College offered him admission in its BE Mechanical Engineering programme and also has promised to bear all his educational expenses including the hostel fee.
“You’ve made the district proud with your achievement… You should work really hard during your studies in engineering also to reach greater heights,” said Mr. Samayamoorthy while handing over the admission card to Mr. Muthukumar at the Collectorate on Monday evening.
Project Director, National Child Labour Project, J. Chandrakumar, was present.
