Residential Coaching Programme for Muslim Candidates by Haj Committee

For 24-year-old Asif Yatnan from Solapur, the journey from working the night shifts as a BPO employee to becoming an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer will be a tough and arduous one. But he is ready for the challenge, and arrived in Mumbai last week to participate in the 14-month residential coaching programme being conducted for Muslim candidates by the Haj Committee.

Yatnan is among the 42 candidates, out of 300 applicants, to be selected for the programme. The students have been put up on the 10th and the 11th floor of Haj House, and for the next year, will be literally cut off from the world, with no mobile phones, as they prepare to take the competitive Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams. The first lecture was held on Sunday for the selected participants, of which 16 are girls.

The need for more Muslims in the bureaucracy is underlined by the fact that, despite comprising 13.5% of the population, just 3% of IAS officers, 4% of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and meagre 1.8% of Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officers are from the community, according to government data.

"Unemployment and lack of education robs the community of a good life. There is a grant from the Centre for our education, but due to corruption, it does not reach us. By being in the services, we can ensure it does," said Syed Ramiz Ali, a 21-year-old BMS student from Mumbai who fought with his parents to appear for the exams. "Being an MBA does not make me a role model, and there is not much I can do in a corporate office," he added.

"These students feel they can serve the community, and have noble plans," said Prof SAM Hashmi, director of the coaching and guidance cell. Framing policies to build cheap institutions for the poor, aiding women's freedom, and pitching India to the Muslim world are some of them.

Courtesy:- DNA India