Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh government established the Centre of Excellence (COE) to identify the immense talent among tribal students and prepare them to secure top ranks in national-level competitive examinations, said M Gauthami, Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (APTWRES).
On Sunday, Gauthami visited the Centre of Excellence established on the campus of Marikavalasa Boys’ Tribal Welfare Gurukul School in Visakhapatnam and inspected the classrooms and other facilities.
Later, addressing a media conference, she mentioned that the state government made a historic decision to provide high-quality training to Intermediate students studying in tribal Gurukuls, equipping them for national-level entrance examinations such as IIT-JEE and NEET.
She stated that additional Centres of Excellence had been sanctioned to the Tribal Welfare department along the lines of facilities established by the BC Welfare and Social Welfare departments.
Gauthami said that Physics Wallah, one of the country’s leading educational institutions, was selected through a transparent request for proposal (RFP) process to provide specialised coaching to the students.
Expert faculty members have already begun extensive coaching classes at the centre. Visakhapatnam was selected as the location for the Centre of Excellence considering its strong transport connectivity and other facilities, making it easily accessible to students from the Uttarandhra tribal agency areas, she informed.
A total of 600 students—300 boys and 300 girls—were selected based on merit and are being provided intensive coaching and the highest standards of academic support during their Plus one and Plus two studies.
Gauthami said that, following the model of EMRS Gurukuls, a co-educational approach is adopted to improve students’ self-confidence, communication skills and personality development, preparing them for the changing requirements of higher education and the future corporate sector.
She mentioned that separate dormitories and classrooms had been arranged for boys and girls. Additional CCTV cameras, special wardens and enhanced security arrangements have also been put in place to ensure safety and well-being of students, she emphasised.
Gauthami interacted with students on the campus and encouraged them to make the best use of the opportunity provided by the government.
She expressed confidence that tribal students would secure top ranks in national-level competitive examinations and bring pride to their families, communities and the state.
The government has sanctioned special funds on a priority basis for providing the requisite infrastructure, furniture, ICT facilities and human resources for the Centre of Excellence, she added.
Works are being taken up on a war-footing basis, in coordination with the concerned departments, to ensure that all necessary facilities are made available for the students.
With the vision of providing quality education, intensive competitive-examination coaching and equal opportunities to talented ST students, the government has accorded the highest priority to this flagship initiative.
The Centre of Excellence is envisaged as a transformative platform for enabling ST students to compete successfully for admission to premier national institutions and contribute to their educational and socioeconomic advancement. Principal Appala Raju also participated in the programme.
