May 8, 2021
Raipur: Remote village locations, tough geographic terrain and various socio economic reasons often prove to be a hindrance for acquiring education. As a result, many children from remote and backward villages of Bastar Division do not get a chance to study. In order to address this issue and provide local Tribal children in Bastar region with a conducive learning environment, NMDC established a residential school at Nagarnar in year 2010-11, which is now giving wings to the dream of Tribal children.
Teams of NMDC employees, both male and female, visit remote hamlets in the left wing extremism affected villages of Bastar Division and counsel the parents of children of school going age, convincing them to send their children to school. Consequently, most of the students who were admitted in the school were first generation school goers from their families from the deep jungle hamlets.
NMDC has engaged the services of DAV Institution for operation of the school. At present, the school’s strength is 585 students up to Class XII. The initiative has created a positive impact in the area and admission to the school has become very much sought after amongst the local community
Factors like geographic terrain coupled with prevailing law and order situation have seriously hampered the chances of local children to get quality professional and technical education over the years. In the wake of this reality, the Chhattisgarh government came up with a solution for establishing an Education City at Geedam, Dantewada district with institutions ranging from primary school to professional institutions like polytechnics on a single campus.
NMDC also supports Astha Gurukul, a residential school primarily for children affected by Naxalite related violence apart from SC, ST and OBC and other underprivileged students from the local communities. The school has a capacity of 1200 students. NMDC has funded the creation of physical infrastructure and facilities like academic block, residential complex, staff quarters in Astha Gurukul. NMDC also supports regular operations of the school.
The public sector undertaking has set up hostels for boys and girls. It has funded the construction of 1000 bedded hostels for boys and girls respectively. It also takes care of Polytechnic College at Dantewada. Saksham is a residential school with a capacity of 200 students – 100 boys and 100 girls – established for the children with special needs.
“The idea is to educate and facilitate their schooling with appropriate aids and materials. NMDC has been supporting Saksham by bearing the regular operational expenditure of the school and has also financially contributed towards creation of the physical infrastructure. Saksham Campus is 100 per cent disabled friendly campus for visually impaired, hearing impaired, physically handicapped and mentally retarded students,” said an executive of PSU, requesting anonymity. /BI/
