Ashmita Sharma at the counselling session at Deorali in Sikkim on Monday. Picture by Prabin Khaling

Gangtok, Feb. 14: Eleven-year-old Ashmita Sharma is one of the 21 students who has been selected to study in a reputable private school outside Sikkim.

The student of Nandugaon Senior Secondary School in South district has topped the entrance examination for the Chief Minister’s Special Merit Scholarship held in December last year.

A hundred primary students from government schools across the state have been selected for the scholarship in which the government will bear the educational expenses of the children till Class XII.

While 21 top scorers will be studying in reputable institutions like Scindia School in Gwalior, Pinegrove School at Himachal Pradesh, and Lawrence School at Ooty, the rest will be admitted to well-known private institutions in Sikkim.

“I am looking forward to study outside Sikkim,” said Ashmita during the counselling session today.

The session at Deorali Girls Senior Secondary School was organised by the state human resource development department.

“It is beyond our wildest dreams to see our children studying in reputable public schools outside Sikkim. Our income does not enable us to send our children to private schools in Sikkim and now they will be studying outside the state thanks to the wonderful scheme of the state government,” said Ashmita’s father Bhanu Bhakta Sharma who runs a grocery shop at Nandugaon village, 130km from Gangtok.

The other 79 students will be able to enroll themselves in private institutions like Tashi Namgyal Academy in Gangtok, St Xavier’s in Pakyong, Don Bosco School in Malbasey, Namchi Public School in Namchi and St Joseph’s in Martam.

According to the programme that was launched last year, the educational expenses of each student will be borne by the government till Class XII. For students who will be studying outside the state, the travel fares needed by parents to reach their wards to the schools will also be covered under the scheme.

Around 650 students from across the state had appeared for the screening test that was held on December 15.

According to the HRD director C.S. Rao, students who had secured first and second positions in their Class V exams last year, had studied from Class I to Class V in a government school and had the Sikkim subject certificates were eligible to appear for the screening test.

“This is a special initiative of the chief minister to reward meritorious primary students. The students will study up to Class XII in the best schools thus securing their future. This is one scheme that the rural parents are looking forward to and every family is now concerned about the education of their children in primary schools,” said HRD minister N.K. Pradhan.

The HRD secretary, R. Telang, said last year 50 students were given the scholarship and the total expense was Rs 95 lakh.

“This time, with the addition of another 100 students we have allocated Rs 2.8 crore,” he said.