HYDERABAD: Uncertainty haunts several hundred civil service aspirants in Hyderabad, with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) having indefinitely postponed the preliminary exam for this year amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) has not announced any updates so far. Aspirants are worried as they’ve dedicated months and years of their lives to cracking the exam.
“I took a break from my job last year and invested all my savings into getting enrolled in a coaching centre. Now, I’m not so sure if the exam would even be conducted this year,” said a 32-year-old IAS aspirant, Younus Ahmed. He added, “This would be my last chance to appear for the exam, as I would not be eligible for it next year.” Younus, who hails from Khammam, resides at a PG facility in Ashok Nagar. Though the coaching centre has been shut down, he has not been able to return home due to the lockdown.
Ravi Kumar, another aspirant, said, “Coaching centres, study halls and libraries are closed. Although I have enough money right now, the uncertainty is depressing me, so much so that I can’t focus on exam preparation.” Ravi has been preparing for Group I and II exams in Hyderabad since 2018. “I have paid nearly `1 lakh for coaching alone. The coaching centre is only running online classes now. Without meetings with peers and coaches, studying becomes very tedious,” he added.
Online coaching
Speaking to Express about online coaching, Abhilash, a private coach from Ashok Nagar, said, “Several coaching centres in the city are conducting online classes. All the coaches in most of the centres were asked to videotape classes from their homes. But many students are anxious because they are not able to interact with us. Further, some of them reside in villages where internet connection is poor.”