The Himachal Pradesh Government on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Unacademy to identify and empower meritorious students from the state to prepare for competitive examinations.

The pilot under the MoU will be conducted in Hamirpur district and as per the MoU, Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) and Unacademy will conduct two aptitude tests over two years to identify 650 meritorious students and award them with Unacademy scholarships for competitive exam courses.

Out of the 650 meritorious students, 500 girl students from Hamirpur will receive free scholarships under Unacademy’s mega national program ‘Shikshodaya’.

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said leveraging technology in education has the potential to transform learning and change the lives of every learner.

“I am sure that the engagement with Unacademy will be one of its kind, which will not just educate and empower youngsters of Hamirpur but will benefit the entire state of Himachal Pradesh. Under Unacademy’s Shikshodaya program, girls of Hamirpur will also get equal opportunities to learn from the best educators to prepare for coveted career opportunities,” he added.

Gaurav Munjal, Co-Founder and CEO, Unacademy Group said as India’s largest learning platform, Unacademy is committed to the vision of democratising access to quality education across geographic barriers.

Through this partnership, we will not only empower the youth of Himachal Pradesh but also provide a platform for the girls of Hamirpur to prepare for and crack competitive exams. We are delighted to partner with DHE and look forward to working closely with them, he stated.

Debasweta Banik, Deputy Commissioner, Hamirpur said in today’s age and time, technology is a powerful tool for transforming learning.

This engagement with Unacademy will affirm and advance relationships between India’s top educators and learners of Hamirpur and Himachal to clear country’s prestigious entrance and competitive exams.

Students pursuing their 10th, 11th, 12th in school, and those in Undergraduate and Postgraduate degree courses in government higher education institutions including engineering colleges, polytechnic colleges and other government institutions of Himachal Pradesh are eligible for the aptitude tests, she added.