(News) UGC aid to crack civil service exam

News : UGC aid to crack civil service exam

Graduate and postgraduate students hailing from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minority communities aspiring to crack civil services examinations conducted by UPSC and state public service commission can look forward to UGC help.

A special centre that would “coach students for entry into civil services” would be inaugurated at the Ranchi University’s postgraduate department of anthropology tomorrow. In its maiden venture, the first batch of 100 aspirants belonging to SC/ST and minority communities would be provided free coaching by senior university teachers, experts and research scholars.

On July 23, RU vice-chancellor A.A. Khan would inaugurate the centre while classes would take off from the next day.

“The aim is to prepare the students of under-privileged category for entry into civil services. The centre would have facility of computer, LCD projectors and library among others. About 100 students have been selected for specialised training from about 300 to 400 students who took the entrance test conducted for the purpose on July 3,” said Karma Oraon, the co-ordinator for the centre.

Oraon, former head of RU’s postgraduate department of anthropology, said that to start with they would conduct general studies classes followed by optional papers, choice of which were asked to be provided by the aspirants. The civil services aspirants paid Rs 100 as registration fee.

RU spokesperson S.S. Akhtar said for the first time such a coaching system was introduced by UGC under the aegis of the varsity. Sources said Rs 8 lakh under the Tenth Five Year Plan was allocated by UGC for the purpose. However, the remuneration fixed for teachers to impart coaching is considered to be low. While a local teacher or expert of any subject would get Rs 250 for a one-hour class, an outside teacher would get Rs 500 and a research scholar would get Rs 175 for the same.

Learning form the failure of similar coaching initiative launched previously for the STs in postgraduate department of botany, the new UGC centre authorities are expected to put in extra effort to make this scheme a success.

Courtesty : telegraphindia.com