A total of 6418 students belonging to economically-weaker sections would get free coaching at the registered private coaching institutes functioning across Kashmir.
The students have been recommended by the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) to private tuition centres under 10 percent reserved quota of poor students.
“The list of eligible students has been approved and issued to concerned private coaching centres to accommodate the students for free coaching,” Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Muhammad Younis Malik said.
The private coaching centres are supposed to adjust students from weaker sections, orphans and physically challenged students under 10 percent reserved quota as per the government order number 445 of 2010.
The students were selected for free coaching after scrutinising their documents including income certificate of their family.
“The list of the students was scrutinised by the departmental committee and sent to the coaching centres accordingly. They (students) will get free coaching for class 11th and 12th besides coaching for other competitive exams as well,” Malik said.
He said that the list of students was approved after granting registration to coaching centres that had submitted their documents for renewal or fresh registration of their coaching centres.
“The students enrolled under 10 percent reserved quotas will be enrolled in these registered coaching centres. The students will not be charged any amount,” Malik said.
He said the registration was granted to coaching centres on the basis of inspection reports submitted by the official teams from different districts.
As per the order issued by the DSEK, the concerned private coaching centres were asked to check the authenticity of the reserved category with the original documents before the selected candidate is allowed to join for free coaching under 10 percent reserved quota.
“The concerned private tuition centre shall not allow the selected candidate in case of any variation in the particulars of the selected candidates reflected in the order, especially the category under selected and same shall be conveyed to the directorate within a week,” the order reads. “The selected candidates having any grievance should approach the directorate within 10 days.”
In the order, the coaching centres have been asked to submit the compliance report to the directorate about the joining of the students to the particular coaching centre.
“The concerned coaching centres will ensure implementation of SoPs in view of COVID19 pandemic as issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare department, Government of India and J&K government,” the order reads.
However, complaints have started pouring in against few coaching centres who were asking the students enrolled under 10 percent quota to pay Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 in violation of the government order.
The DSEK said action would be taken against the erring coaching for violating government norms.
“We also received complaints against one or two coaching centres but action will be taken against those coaching institutes who will charge fee from students enrolled under 10 percent reserved quota,” Muhammad Younis Malik said.