In a heartwarming success story, Kerala’s ‘Vidyatheeram’ scheme, initiated by the state’s fisheries department in 2015, has been instrumental in enabling financially disadvantaged students from fishing communities to achieve their dreams of pursuing medical careers. The scheme provides crucial financial assistance to deserving students, helping them attend specialized coaching classes at renowned coaching centers and gain admission to competitive medical entrance exams.
Since its inception, ‘Vidyatheeram’ has benefited an impressive 530 students from fishermen families, with 178 of them successfully securing admission to various medical courses, including 75 into the prestigious MBBS program. This year, the scheme continues to make a significant impact, offering much-needed support to aspiring students, according to sources within the fisheries department.
For many students hailing from fishermen families, gaining admission to medical colleges seemed like an unattainable dream due to the intense competition and financial constraints. Dr. Riya Sivaprasad, who hails from Puthiyappa in Kozhikode and gained admission to a government medical college in Alappuzha in 2016 through the ‘Vidyatheeram’ scheme, reflects on the transformative effect of the program. She is now a practicing doctor and is immensely grateful for the assistance provided by the scheme.
Faseela, another success story from a fishermen family in Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram, highlights the significance of ‘Vidyatheeram.’ She completed her MBBS in 2022 and acknowledges that without the scheme’s support, many families in her community would not even dare to dream of affording the high fees and expenses associated with coaching classes.
The fisheries department employs various criteria, primarily based on merit, to select candidates eligible for the ‘Vidyatheeram’ scheme. Once chosen, students receive financial aid directly from the government to cover the fees at coaching centers, making their pursuit of a medical education more accessible and equitable.
The ‘Vidyatheeram’ scheme is not just about empowering individuals; it’s a beacon of hope for coastal communities in Kerala, bridging the gap between dreams and reality for talented students who aspire to become medical professionals.
