Thiruvananthapuram: Seven tribal children from Kerala's Attappadi region, infamous for alcoholism and malnutrition, have been granted admission to the prestigious Sainik School here.
The 10-year-old tribal students joined Class VI when the academic session began this month at Kazhakootam Sainik School, under the Defence Ministry.
The students were part of the 15-member group of tribal children, who appeared for the All-India Sainik School Entrance Examination. Seven qualified for admissions after clearing the interview and medical examinations.
The students are from Karandipra, Dhonikunel, Kallakkara Ooru's, the remote areas of Attappadi in Palakkad district, defence sources said.
Chairman of Kerala State Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Commission, Justice (retd) P N Vijayakumar, who recently visited the school, along with commission members, interacted with the children and staff at length and exhorted them to excel in all activities offered by the school for development.
Attappadi, a 740-sq-km area in Palakkad district on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, is predominantly a tribal area and until now had grabbed media attention for infant deaths and chronic malnutrition among children and alcoholism among men.
The 'Attappadi project' was taken up on an experimental basis by the 1991 batch of Sainik school students, as part of their silver jubilee celebrations.
(With agency inputs)