A 19-year-old girl who got admission into Lady Hardinge Medical College to pursue MBBS, after attending free entrance coaching classes provided by the Delhi government, said that students like her who do not belong to well-to-do families will benefit from such schemes.
Shashi, the daughter of a daily-wage labourer, said that she had tried to crack NEET in 2018 to get admission for MBBS, but failed as she could not afford an entrance coaching.
‘Prepare at home’
“The coaching was very expensive and I had to prepare on my own at home. I could not crack the exam,” said Shashi.
Shashi, who passed Class XII in 2017, got enrolled under the ‘Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana’, under which the government provides free entrance coaching to students from Scheduled Castes, whose annual family income is below ₹6 lakh.
“I came to know about the scheme from a relative and got enrolled and that really helped me,” the 19-year-old said. Shashi’s college classes began in the first week of August and the teenager said that she wanted to help people suffering from cancer. “I want to improve the healthcare system of the country,” she added.
Shashi’s family of seven lives in a rented accommodation in Jahangirpuri.
Scheme expansion
The government is now planning to expand the scheme to include OBC and EWS of general category, according to Social Welfare Minister Rajenra Pal Gautam.
“Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana is ensuring that poverty is no longer a hurdle for students,” the Minister said.
“It was a four-month course. The duration is not enough to prepare for the exam. It should be increased,” Shashi said.
