BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government has decided to open civil service coaching centres in six universities by end of this month to inculcate the competitive spirit for civil services examinations in the State.
Considered to be first of its kind in the State, such coaching centres will train the students of backward and weaker sections of the society including the minority community for the national level examinations.
The coaching centres will be opened in Utkal University, Berhampur University, Sambalpur University, RD Women’s University, Ravenshaw University and Gangadhar Meher University.
While a grant of `one crore has been sanctioned for recurring and non-recurring expenses, the registrars of the six universities have been asked to establish the centres and engage functionaries by February 28.
The Higher Education Department has also issued a set of guidelines for opening of the civil service coaching centres. The universities have been asked to earmark well furnished class room fitted with projectors and wi-fi facilities.
As per the decision, two batches, having 60 students each, will be coached every year, starting from prelim to personal interview. The students, to be enrolled for coaching, will be selected through an entrance test conducted by each university separately. Any graduate or final year degree student is eligible to appear the entrance test.
An official of the department said the universities can also take students from other state universities/colleges with proper recommendation from the present/last institutions, attended by the students.
“Reservation policy of the Government will be applicable while selecting candidates for coaching. The universities will develop a specific section in their web sites for civil service coaching where information on the classes will be uploaded,” he said.
The Government has, however, decided to charge fees from aspiring candidates irrespective of category they belong. While `2,000 will be collected as course fee from the general and OBC category students appearing for prelim exam and `5,000 for Main exam, SC/ST category students will be charges `1,000 and `2,000 for respective exams.
A corpus fund will be created where fees collected from the students will be deposited for the use by the coaching centres. The universities are allowed to provide the students hostel accommodations, but the fees will be charged extra, the official added.
Though there is no dearth of potential students, the success rate of IAS and other civil services aspirants is extremely low in the State. Of 1,078 successful candidates in the civil services examination in 2015, only 26 candidates were from Odisha.