COIMBATORE: More than 75 students studying in schools run by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) are expected to qualify for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMS) for the 2025-26 academic year, reflecting a notable improvement in academic performance among corporation school students.
The corporation currently administers 148 educational institutions across the city, including 17 higher secondary schools, 10 high schools, 37 middle schools, 83 primary schools and one special school. The civic body's education department has been taking several initiatives to enhance the academic abilities of students and motivate them to take part in competitive examinations.
As part of these efforts, special coaching programmes were organised for Class 8 students preparing for the NMMS examination. Skilled trainers were engaged to help students strengthen their aptitude, reasoning ability and subject knowledge, enabling them to approach the examination with greater confidence.
The scholarship scheme aims to support meritorious students from economically weaker sections studying in government and government-aided schools. To be eligible, the annual family income of the student must not exceed Rs 1.5 lakh and the student should have secured at least 55 percent marks in the Class 7 annual examination.
Students who qualify in the test receive financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month. The scholarship is provided for four years, from Class 9 to Class 12, amounting to a total of Rs 48,000. Every year, Rs 12,000 is directly credited to the student's bank account to support their continued education.
According to the data released, 155 students scored between 81 and 100 marks, while 43 students secured between 101 and 120 marks. Another 12 students scored between 121 and 140 marks, and one student scored between 141 and 160 marks.
Based on these results, officials expect that more than 75 students from corporation schools will qualify this year. In comparison, around 27 students cleared the examination in the previous academic year, making this year's expected achievement nearly three times higher.