Ranchi, Sep 2 (IANS) Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday declared that Netarhat Residential School — the state’s most prestigious academic institution — will become co-educational from the next session, opening its doors to girls for the first time since its inception in 1954.

So far, this school was meant for boys only.

Nestled deep in the forested hills of Latehar district, the Netarhat Residential School is revered by its alumni and called the “Doon School of Jharkhand”. It has produced over 500 civil servants, many of them IAS and IPS officers.

Furthermore, the Chief Minister revealed that the state government plans to establish three new schools modelled on Netarhat to expand access to high-quality residential education.

CM Soren also handed over appointment letters to 975 newly appointed postgraduate trained teachers, assistant professors and laboratory assistants at a function organised at the state secretariat.

The event also turned into a celebration of academic excellence. The Chief Minister felicitated the toppers of the 2025 matriculation and intermediate examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC), as well as top performers from CBSE and ICSE boards.

Each topper was awarded a 125 cc scooty, a laptop, a mobile phone, and a cheque of Rs 3 lakh to support their further studies.

Addressing the gathering, CM Soren said education remains one of the foremost priorities of his government. “Our goal is to ensure that government schools no longer remain inferior to private institutions. We want every child studying in government schools to have access to the same resources and opportunities,” he said.

Highlighting welfare measures for students, Soren said the Guruji Credit Card Scheme will provide loans of up to Rs 15 lakh without collateral, ensuring financial constraints do not hold back higher education or career aspirations. He also reminded the audience of the 100 per cent scholarship scheme that supports students pursuing higher education abroad.

The programme also witnessed the formal launch of the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar Yojana and the Jharkhand E-Shiksha Mahotsav, both aimed at promoting innovation, cleanliness, and technology-driven learning in schools.

The event was attended by Education Minister Radha Krishna Kishore, Ministers Sanjay Prasad Yadav and Shilpi Neha Tirkey, Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, along with senior officials of the state education department.

–IANS

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