BIHAR: A ray of hope for many, this Bihar administrative officer runs a string of civil services coaching centres across the state – offering needy students professional coaching without them having to pay a dime, writes Ramashankar
A senior administrative officer’s efforts have made it possible for hundreds of students from poor families to land their dream jobs by clearing various competitive examinations. Lalit Kumar Singh, who is deputy collector land reforms in Sitamarhi district’s Pupri block, organises free coaching to students from poor families so that they can clear examinations conducted by BPSC, SSC, Railways, police and others. His endeavour, named ‘Bihar Civil Services Foundation’, has institutes across Bihar offering courses free of cost from professional teachers.
Singh also prepares question papers for students and sends them to his institutes by post. The results of the examinations are monitored from time to time by a team of experts.
Students have also to clear a test to enter his academy, which is held annually.
Singh has done MSc (Agriculture) from Bangalore University and Masters in Gandhi Peace Studies from IGNOU. Before joining administrative service in Bihar, he was a sub-inspector of police in Delhi Police from 2004 to 2010. It was during same period he was deputed at Rashtrapati Bhawan and had a chance to know the then President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam more deeply. Dr Kalam left a lasting impression on him and now he proudly says he is a big fan of him.
Singh started his career in Bihar as an administrative officer in Banka in 2011 as he made arrangements for the education of children from the economically weaker section. He was posted in Banka till 2014 and was transferred to Jehanabad where he served one and half years. Later, he was transferred to Manhar in Vaishal district and worked there from 2015 to 1018. Before his current posting, he also worked in Uda Kishanganj in Madhepura district from 2018 to 2020. He established coaching institutes wherever he was posted in Bihar.
“Education is the best tool to bring about change in the society. So I focused on imparting education to the students belonging to lower strata of society,” he said.
Sanjay Kumar, a student of his, currently posted as assistant archeologist, ASI, Patna circle, said that he is grateful to Singh for helping him in preparations for competitive examinations. “I had been preparing for examination under the guidance of Singh sir since 2010. Thankfully, in 2018, I got a job with ASI,” he told this reporter.
Similarly, Gudiya Kumari was selected as sub-inspector of police in Bihar Police. Gudiya, a resident of Mahnar in Vaishali district, said, “What I am today is due to guidance of Singh Sir. He is such a good teacher that I have no words,” she said.
She is currently posted in Saharsa district. She had qualified for the examination conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) in 2018.