4 days ago
Poor student's higher edu dreams fulfilled through govt intervention
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Berhampur: In a heartening development, 20-year-old Sibani Gouda from the remote Bebir village in Gajapati district has secured admission to Plus III (1st year) Arts programme thanks to timely govt intervention.
Sibani, who scored 77% in her Plus II examinations from a private higher secondary school at Adava, had initially given up hope of pursuing higher education due to financial constraints. The daughter of daily-wage labourer, she had missed the June 4 deadline for online applications.
Following TOI coverage of her plight, regional education director Sidharth Shankar Padhy directed the principal of Hilltop College, Mohana, to facilitate her admission process.
"We immediately reached out to ensure she doesn't miss this opportunity," said Padhy.
Pranabanand Pattajoshi, a lecturer at Hilltop College, who assisted with the application process, said they helped Sibani secure necessary documentation, including residence certificates, and completed her application through the Student Academic Management System (SAMS) portal before the deadline.
The college, located around 20 km from Sibani's village, is accessible via affordable bus service costing just Rs 5.
College authorities are now approaching the district administration to waive her admission fees of around Rs 6,000, considering her family's financial situation.
"I had almost lost hope of continuing my studies. I'm grateful to the teachers who helped me with the application process," said Sibani.
Currently, Sibani's parents work as daily-wage labourers in Cuttack, where her 17-year-old brother is undergoing medical treatment. She has been staying with relatives in Bebir to pursue her education.
