Tribal students get intensive IIT-JEE, NEET coaching

Metro India News | AMARAVATI 

The Andhra Pradesh government has established a dedicated Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Marikavalasa in Visakhapatnam to provide high-quality coaching to tribal students and help them secure top ranks in national-level competitive examinations such as IIT-JEE and NEET. AP Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (APTWREIS) Secretary M. Gowthami said the initiative aims to identify and nurture the considerable talent among tribal students and provide them with opportunities comparable to those available to students in other communities.

Gowthami visited the CoE at the Marikavalasa Boys’ Gurukulam campus on Sunday and inspected the classrooms and facilities. Addressing the media later, she said the government had taken a historic decision to provide intensive coaching to Intermediate-level tribal students preparing for IIT-JEE and NEET. Following a transparent Request for Proposal (RFP) process, Physics Wallah (PW) was selected to provide the coaching. Classes have already commenced, with experienced faculty delivering intensive academic training.

Marikavalasa was selected because Visakhapatnam serves as an educational hub and offers better connectivity and transportation facilities for students from both the North Andhra tribal agency areas and plains. A total of 600 merit-selected students, 300 boys and 300 girls from Plus One and Plus Two,  are being trained at the centre. Gowthami clarified that existing school students at the Marikavalasa campus were not displaced abruptly. They were shifted to nearby girls’ campuses, Krishna¬puram and Sabbavaram SOEs, or their respective residential institutions, based on their requests. Parents were informed in advance, and students were transported safely under teachers’ supervision.

She also said the CoE follows a co-educational model designed to build confidence and personality development, while ensuring separate dormitories and classrooms for boys and girls, additional CCTV surveillance, dedicated wardens and enhanced security arrangements. Interacting with students, Gowthami urged them to make full use of the opportunity and secure outstanding IIT-JEE and NEET ranks, bringing recognition to their families, community and the state.