Bhopal, Apr 23: Applications have been invited by April 30 from talented students belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes for admission for the session 2008-09 in special educational institutions being run by Tribal Welfare Department. Thirty-five seats each have been sanctioned for every class. Free lodging and boarding, study material, reference books would be provided to students apart from stipends and money for uniform.

It may be mentioned that these special institutions are being conducted in tribal-predominant areas with a view to enabling students belonging to these categories to excel in engineering, medical and other competitive examinations of state as well as national level. This would also enhance their chances of employment.

Thirty-five seats each have been sanctioned in all the classes from VI to XI. Admission would be given against available seats in class VII and VIII. Those scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students who have passed examinations for classes V, VIII and X with minimum 60 percent marks would be eligible to get admission in next classes i.e. VI, IX and XI. Students who have appeared in eligibility test can appear in admission test but they would have to produce their mark sheet before finalisation of admission. Admissions would be given to girls only in Kanya Shiksha Parisar Chhindwara and Pushparajgarh.

Applications in prescribed proforma can be obtained from principals of the institutes and submitted by April 30, 2008. Photo copy of last examination's mark sheet, certificate of appearance in eligibility test and caste certificate would have to be attached with the application form. The applicant would have to produce attested copy of the mark sheet within seven day after declaration of eligibility test results. The merit list would be prepared after totaling 40 and 60 percent marks of qualifying and admission tests, respectively. Admission would be given as per the merit list against vacant seats.

After the admission, students would be provided free of cost boarding facility, study material, reference books etc. Students belonging scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are given stipends at the rates fixed by the government (Rs 500 for boys and Rs 525 for girls) for 10 months. They are also given Rs 60 per month for nutritious food and Rs 350 for uniform for one session.

Two hundred 45 seats each are sanctioned for Model Higher Secondary School, Tawa Nagar in district Hoshangabad, Model Higher Secondary School, Churhat in district Sidhi, Kanya Shiksha Parisar, Chhindwara and Kanya Shiksha Parisar, Anuppur. Out of these 196 seats each have been sanctioned for scheduled tribes, 37 each for scheduled castes and 12 each for other categories.

Similarly, 105 seats have been allotted for Model Higher Secondary Schools at Khandwa, Sheopur, Dhar, Malajkhand in Balaghat district, Jaisingh Nagar in Shahdol district and Model Higher Secondary School, Khargone. Out of these 84 seats each have been sanctioned for scheduled tribes, 16 each for scheduled castes and five each for other categories.