RAIPUR: A one-of-a-kind initiative brought about social inclusivity when we facilitated a lifetime opportunity for 100 meritorious students, mostly from tribal communities of the Maoist-affected Bijapur district of the Bastar region, to witness something special. The meritorious students belonging to government schools were given a memorable gift in the form of a flight from Jagdalpur to Raipur to participate in the state-level Independence Day celebrations on August 15.
It is an initiative arranged by District Collector Bijapur, Anurag Pandey. With an idea to make them experience their first air travel and city lifestyle, the event has brought around 50 girls and 50 boys. They would attend the Independence Day celebrations at the Police Parade Ground and get a view of city attractions and development.
The idea for this was conceived when residential summer camps for almost 2000 children had to be curtailed only to morning sessions owing to intense heat, and some money was left. With an IOU from the superintendent of police, Collector Pandey promised to offer to fly students with good exam results to Raipur. The offer was promised students of Class 9 and 11 in schools run by the government, including those run in the tribal areas.
This is a big moment in the life of all 100 students selected who obtained the top marks in their respective schools. Now, they will get an opportunity to meet with ministers, see some prominent sites of Raipur, and be a part of the development going on in the city. Moreover, in the case of many students, it is the first journey out of Bijapur.
