Thirty children from Bengaluru Urban, who lost both their parents to Covid-19, have been identified for free admissions in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) under the PM Cares for Children scheme.
In a revised admission guideline issued last week, the Centre made a provision to consider such children for free admission in Classes 1 to 12 over and above the class strength in KVs. Up to 10
children per school and two per class can be enrolled, based on the list provided by district magistrates, it said.
G A Narasimham is the assistant commissioner, admission in-charge at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Regional Office, Bengaluru. He told Metrolife that they received 214 names from Karnataka, including four from Bangalore Rural. These children come from a mix of schooling backgrounds — private, government, and government-aided.
The 16 KVs in Bengaluru were asked to inform the guardians that their wards are eligible for the scheme.
When asked how many families have taken the offer, he said “about 80 per cent did not show interest initially”. He went on to explain that this provision was stopped in between but is back in force after last week’s announcement and the families who were not interested earlier may want to avail of it now.
A boy, who lost his mother during the pandemic and his father much before, has accepted admission in Class 7 at KV, M G Railway Colony, Sevashrama in the city. “He will join next month, after the summer break. Our school is half-a-kilometre away from his home,” informs admission in-charge, Preeti Sarkar. Paperwork for two more admissions is pending here, of sisters who lost their parents to the pandemic, she added. This is the closest KV from their residence in Kengeri.
Two such children were referred to KV, Hebbal. “But guardians withdrew it (the offer) as they found schools with better facilities, such as a hostel, and also they were closer to their home,” informs principal-in-charge Vinayak R Kattimani.