Lowering eligibility this session results in more admissions

Divya Sharma

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 22

The lowering of the eligibility criteria for admissions to Government Senior Secondary Residential Schools for Meritorious Students appears to have triggered a positive outcome. Only 29 medical seats in the boy’s category are vacant this time. Last year, out of 500 students, 182 seats were left vacant.

There are a total of 500 seats, including 100 for medical, 300 for non-medical and 100 seats for commerce.

Before the commencement of the entrance examination, the eligibility had been lowered from 80 per cent to 55 per cent to accommodate more students from poor and rural background. Until last year, students scoring above 80 per cent could sit for the entrance examination.

Officiating Principal Daljeet Kaur said, “The response has been the best so far. Only 29 seats among boys in the medical stream are vacant. Rest in various streams have been occupied.”

“Though the eligibility was lowered, students were selected on the basis of merit in the entrance examination. It proves that the students with 50 per cent marks are equally intelligent and deserve a chance,” she said.

Spread over 10 acres, the school was constructed in 2014 at the Attari-Verka bypass. The brainchild of former Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, the initiative aims at imparting free education to poor and needy children of the state.

Jaskaran Singh, district coordinator, MIS, said, “The counselling process has concluded. All girls seats have been filled.”