The largest lender of the country, State Bank of India is taking new steps for emancipation of the society. The Mallikatta branch of the bank in Mangalore has started the novel move of educating the girl child. The branch has recently taken seven girls under its umbrella and will bear all expenses for their education.

The sole eligibility criteria set for the process has been that the girl has to be academically bright with a thrust to study and hails from economically weak family.

Under the scheme, school heads forward the eligible pupils' names to the branch which in turn offers for expenses for fees, books and stationery, forms, bags and footwears for the child.

The nobel scheme had taken flight in the year 2008 when the Mallikatta branch took charge of educating Shree Vidya, a student of Government Higher Primary School, Mallikatta.

"The branch monitors progress of the adopted students regularly with the heads of their respective educational institutions," said M Sripathi, chief manager of the branch.