BIHAR : Building careers under the shadow of a temple is a unique experience, shared by hundreds of job seekers every day. A temple is thronged not only by devotees but also by scores of young people chasing a dream — a government job. Many have succeeded, while others are waiting to taste the fruit of success.
Impressed by the efforts of those running a free coaching centre under a tent on the premises of Mahavir Temple in Sasaram, Bihar’s Rohtas district, even the district’s top officials visit the centre to guide job aspirants and improve their odds in competitive exams.
Job seekers were surprised recently to find RohtasDistrict Magistrate Deepak Kumar Mishra and Superintendent of Police Raushan Kumar among them. They provided valuable tips on preparing for various competitive examinations and instilled confidence in the aspirants to remain focused on their goals.
The DM and SP visited the coaching centre amid student protests over question paper leaks. The move helped the administration restrain students from taking part in protests, but the interaction also proved beneficial for the aspirants. After all, the top bureaucrats of the district were at their doorstep to offer guidance on shaping their careers.
Mishra, a 2019-batch IAS officer, highlighted the role of discipline, perseverance and optimal use of time in a student’s career.
“These three things are the key to success in one’s life,” Mishra said.
Mishra said one’s goal in life should be clear and there is no shortcut to success. A mechanical engineer from IIT Delhi, he cited his example to enthuse the aspirants. Before becoming an IAS officer and being allotted his home cadre of Bihar, Mishra had served in the Indian Railways and BPCL. “But my goal was to become an IAS officer, which I achieved,” he told youths at the coaching centre.
SP Raushan Kumar, a 2019-batch IPS officer, said he cleared the UPSC exam in his fifth attempt. “There were ups and downs in life, but I focussed on my goal, which I achieved after repeated attempts,” he said.
The Mahavir Quiz and Test Centre is run by students themselves. At this unique centre, aspirants prepare for government examinations, including civil services, railways and banking, without paid teachers. The centre operates on a peer-to-peer learning and quiz format, with aspirants exchanging books and notebooks and conducting mock tests as part of their preparation.
Every morning and evening, about 500 students study at the centre. It was started by two youths, Chhotelal Singh and Rajesh Paswan, who came to Sasaram from a village with dreams of getting a job. Unable to afford the fees for private coaching centres, they began studying on their own.
The centre has since helped around 1,200 aspirants secure jobs in state civil services, railways, banks and police. Candidates have also cleared the recruitment examination for government school teachers conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission since the centre’s inception in 2006.