Members of the IITians for Youth team in Patna on Friday. Picture by Jai Prakash

IITians for Youth, an organisation of students from IIT-Kharagpur, is launching an educational yatra, which aims at promoting quality learning and creating awareness about career opportunities after classes X and XII among rural and underprivileged students.

The organisation, in association with Bihar police, will launch the yatra on May 5. For the next 20 days, the IITians will visit four Naxalite-hit districts, including Gaya, Aurangabad, Rohtas and Kaimur. They would later prepare a report on their tour and submit it to the state government.

The 20-member team of IITians left for Gaya in a state bus on Friday. Bihar director-general of police Abhayanand has given his consent for the yatra, which will be supported by the state police. The police, in coordination with the district administrations, would arrange for the food, lodging and transportation on the students.

Imbesat Ahmad, a member of IITians for Youth, said: “We will primarily focus on students in the age group of 14 years and above, who are in classes IX, X, XI and XII.”

This is the age when maximum number of students drop out of schools. IITians for Youth will create awareness among such students about positive aspects of completing school education.

Ahmad said: “It has been found that despite the government launching various schemes and offering sops to students, a large number of them drop out at the higher secondary level. These students take admission in government schools only for enjoying the benefits of schemes such as Cycle Yojana, Poshak Yojana and others.

“Once the students avail the benefits of these schemes, they quit the school, pushing up the dropout rate.”

Nitin Sharma, who originally hails from Jaipur, said: “This is the first time I am in Bihar. I am very pleased that we are launching such initiatives from the state which has seen a high growth rate in terms of literacy, but still a lot to achieve.”

The young students from IIT will visit the remote areas of the districts and try to address the problems of the students. They would also inform them about the various job opportunities for educated youths.

Nitin said: “There are many carrier opportunities for young students once they clear their classes X and XII examination. They can apply for jobs in railways, industrial training institute (ITI) and the army at lower ranks.”

He added: “If a student, after clearing his or her matriculation or Class XII test, prepares sincerely for such competitive exams, there are high chances that the person would get a job in these fields. Several rural students, however, are not able to utilise these opportunities for lack of awareness. They are left with on other alternative but to assist their families which are mostly working in the fields or are migrant labourers.”