Bus service for college girls soon in Jharkhand
As per a government report, Jharkhand’s GER is merely 8.1% as against the national average of 19.4%.
Jharkhand government will soon start bus service for college girl students in remote areas to check dropout rate and improve enrolments in women’s colleges. The scheme is likely to be started this year in select women’s colleges.
Chief minister Raghubar Das, while laying foundation stone of a state engineering college in Koderma on Sunday, said, “All women colleges in Jharkhand will be provided bus facility to promote girls’ education.” Das also inaugurated online a model college at Chatra and women’s college, Ramgarh on the occasion and announced to start a medical college and polytechnic at Jainagar in Koderma.
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Jharkhand is poorer than the national average, as thousand of students, mostly girls, do not go to college after intermediate (class-12). As per a government report, Jharkhand’s GER is merely 8.1% as against the national average of 19.4%.
State education minister Neera Yadav told Hindustan Times, thousands of girls from remote areas are compelled to quit education after intermediate due to distance to educational institutions and unavailability of colleges in their area.
Several assembly constituencies in Jharkhand are yet to have colleges. An education department survey says that of the 81 assembly constituencies, 35 constituencies do not have any college.
“Bus facility will give them an opportunity to continue their studies,” Yadav said, adding, the modalities to run the project is being drafted.
“The scheme will be launched as a pilot project in few selected colleges. If we get good response, the scheme will be replicated in other colleges,” Yadav said, adding,”We would urge legislators and parliamentarians to donate buses to women’s colleges”.
Yadav said that she would soon donate a bus to Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav College, Jhumri Tilaiya.
Higher and technical education secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh said detailed modalities of the project was being prepared. “The government would purchase buses for colleges. However, the discussion is on whether college authorities would run them or private parties will be engaged.”
