The Odisha government will send five students from the tribal-dominated Keonjhar district to pursue their master's degree at Curtin University, Australia which is ranked second in the field of mineral and mining engineering.

The selected students are from the Government College of Engineering (GCE) in Keonjhar district. Their education will be sponsored by the District Mineral Fund (DMF) of the district.

To express their gratitude for the chief minister's kind gesture the students met him at Naveen Niwas on Tuesday evening.

Keonjhar collector Ashish Thakare told The Telegraph: “This is the first time a district administration is sending students to pursue higher education in a foreign country. We have decided to give exposure to our students belonging to Keonjhar district at the international level. We have an understanding with Curtin University to this effect. They will pursue their Masters in mineral and mining engineering. It’s a two-year course. The expenses will be around Rs 70 lakh per student.”

Thakare said: “Once they complete their education, they will get jobs across the globe in the rank of top executive. Getting a job will not be an issue for them.”

The collector said: “The students have been selected on the basis of their marks. Another criterion is that they must belong to the Keonjhar district. The objective is aimed at fostering educational excellence and empowering the youth of Keonjhar.”