Chief minister Hemant Soren on the 82nd birth anniversary of his father and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha founder Shibu Soren distributed Guruji Student Credit Cards among 55 beneficiaries in a programme organised at Harvasnh Tana Bhagat indoor stadium at Khelgaon here on Sunday.
The card helps get beneficiary loans up to ₹15 lakh on the simple interest of 4 per cent per annum for higher education. So far the card has been provided to 2,430 beneficiaries though more than 2 lakh have got registered to get benefit of the scheme.
“You take one step forward, and the government will take you ten steps ahead. We will ensure you reach your destination; this is our promise, because we are Guruji’s soldiers,” Soren said distributing the credit cards amid the presence of students of Class 10 and 12 turned for a dialogue with him.
CM Soren on the occasion said the state was moving forward with a goal of educating every child and shared the initiatives the state has taken towards the goal.
“We are moving forward with the goal that every child in the state should be educated. It is extremely important to enhance children’s knowledge today. With this in mind, our government has taken several major steps in the field of education. The Guruji Student Credit Card scheme, 100% scholarships for higher education abroad, the establishment of large libraries in all districts, and the opening of excellent schools where poor children can receive quality education are some of these initiatives,” he said.
Earlier he remembered his father and his struggle for separate state status to Jharkhand. He compared his father with tribal icons like Bhagwan Birsa Munda and Sido Kanhu.
“The land of Jharkhand has been the land of brave heroes and martyrs. This land has given birth to many brave sons like Bhagwan Birsa Munda and Sido-Kanhu, who made sacrifices for the country’s independence, the protection of water, forests, and land, and the movement for a separate Jharkhand state. One such personality was Dishoam Guru Shibu Soren,” Soren said.
Soren said his father not only strengthened the movement for a separate state but also raised voice against social evils as a social reformer.
“On one hand, he led and strengthened the movement for a separate Jharkhand state, and on the other hand, as a social reformer, he raised his voice against social evils like the moneylending system. At his call, tribals and indigenous people from every corner would take to the streets. He dedicated his life to securing the rights of the people and educating the future generation,” Soren said.
The CM on the occasion asked youth not to depend solely on government jobs and asked them to get empowered to excel in any competition anywhere across the world.
“We don’t want you to rely solely on government jobs. We want to empower you to excel in any competition, anywhere in the world. That is why we have tried to create a system where you can fully utilise your talent, strength, and potential,” he said.
On the occasion CM Soren launched a Public Dashboard and an AI-based chatbot developed by NIT Jamshedpur to increase the utility and participation in the government’s welfare schemes. Apart from this, under the CM Fellowship Academic Excellence Scheme, 23 of 52 selected research scholars started their scholarship amount of ₹25,000 each for their research work.
The CM also launched the “The Grassroots Innovation Internship Scheme” on the occasion. Under this scheme two-month internship scheme, graduate and postgraduate students will get 17,000 internship opportunities. They will also be given a stipend of ₹10,000 as an incentive. Under this scheme, students will get the opportunity to work in rural areas along with their studies.
Other inauguration done by CM on the occasion remained the Master Sobren Manjhi District Library at the Ramrudra Chief Minister’s Excellence School complex in Bokaroand Guruji Night School, which focuses on anthropology, especially the study of tribal life at the global level.
He also virtually inaugurated ‘Guruji Vatika’ near Baba Baidyanath Old Age Home in Solgadih, under Chas Municipal Corporation area of Bokaro.
Beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to CM Soren. “I am from a remote village in Bundu. I am studying at IIIT, Ranchi. Thanks to this scheme, my dream of pursuing a doctorate is going to come true. Many thanks to the CM for this.” said Sukdev Mahto, a student said.
Rishika of XISS Ranchi said, “I am pursuing higher education at XISS, Ranchi. Thanks to the Guruji Student Credit Card scheme, the financial burden of my studies has been lifted, and it is empowering me to fulfill my dreams.”
Those present during the programme included higher education minister Sudivya Kumar, MLA Suresh Kumar Baitha, Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, chief secretary Avinash Kumar, director general of police Tadasha Mishra, higher education department principal secretary Rahul Kumar Purwar besides others.
