BHUBANESWAR: Civil service coaching in State-run universities is yet to take off due to lack of faculty members. The State Government is yet to engage any professional coaching institutes to provide civil service coaching to university students.The Higher Education Department has set up civil service coaching centres in Utkal University, Berhampur University, Sambalpur University, Ramadevi Women’s University, GM University, Ravenshaw University and FM University to provide coaching to students aspiring to appear for civil services.
However, due to non-availability of teaching staff with relevant competency, the department officials decided to partner with professional coaching centres to manage the civil services coaching centres in these universities from the current academic session.Accordingly, it invited Expression of Interest (EoI) from various professional institutes in the field between July 12 and August 3.
The empanelment of qualified institutes was supposed to be done after the meeting of state level screening committee on August 18, 2018. However, the process has been delayed and the no professional institution have been engaged in any of the universities to impart civil service coaching to students.Sources said poor response from the professional coaching institutions to government’s proposal is the key reason behind failure of the project.
Higher Education Department Joint Secretary Partha Sarathi Mishra, however, said that the process for engagement of these institutions for civil service coaching is on and will be finalised soon.Higher Education Minister Ananta Das said the State Government will extend all support to the professional institutions who come forward to impart coaching.
Sources in the department said coaching centers functioning for at least three years, preparing students for national competitive exams and having a minimum enrolment of 200 students per annum will be considered for partnership.
As per the earlier government decision students will pay 25 per cent of the coaching fee and the rest will be paid by the government to the empanelled institutes.Besides, cases where the parental income of an eligible student is only up to `2 lakh per annum, the state government will bear 100 per cent course fee.