PUNE: The education department of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will provide training to primary and secondary school students, who want to appear for competitive exams like the National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) and the State Talent Search Examination (STSE). The project will cost the civic body Rs 15 lakh.

Municipal commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi said, "After schooling, students need to appear for competitive examinations for admissions to professional courses. Municipal school students find these exams tough. So we have taken a decision to train them in schools so that they are better prepared for the competitive world ahead."

Students of standard V to VIII will be trained to appear for the state scholarship examination while students of standard VIII to X will be prepared for the STSE and NTSE.

The PCMC's scheme is on the lines of 'Sankalp Shisyavrutticha (aim for scholarship), an education project implemented in Nanded district, said PCMC education officer Vishnu Jadhav, who recently visited Nanded along with assistant commissioner Uday Tekale to study the project. One-day workshops were recently held for teachers as part of the project.The coaching classes will be held before and after school hours.