Ranchi, April 10 (IANS) The Jharkhand government has decided to provide pilot training to 30 more tribal students after an earlier group of 24 students landed jobs with leading airlines. The pilot training is being sponsored by the state welfare department.

“The 24 tribal boys, mostly from poor families, were provided pilot training. Most of them are employed with Indian Airlines, Air India, Air Deccan and Jet Airways,” said U.K. Sangama, secretary of the social welfare department.

He said: “The state government spent Rs.1.1 million on training the students. Considering the success story of the 24 tribal boys, we have decided to sponsor pilot training for 30 more tribal boys.”

The students are selected through a written examination and later they are sent to various training centres. The entrance examination for the second batch of students will be conducted by July.

The training for the first batch was completed in 2006. The process to select the students started in 2003. “We have put a condition that the tribal students after getting jobs in airlines will sponsor the education of two tribal boys of their village till the graduation level,” said Sangama.

Besides pilot training, the state social welfare department is sponsoring other vocational training to tribal boys and girls. More than 200 tribal girls have been provided training as nurses.