BHUBANESWAR: The free UPSC Civil Services coaching scheme will be launched by the Higher Education Department (DHE) on April 10. As many as 200 youths (General - 95, ST-45, SC-32, SEBC-23, PwD-5) have been selected through a pre-qualifying examination for the coaching - both prelims and mains - which will be imparted to them at Centurion University. The department has selected the Delhi-based Aspire IAS coaching centre after a rigorous screening process by a selection committee headed by the secretary of the department.
While the government will fund the entire coaching expenditure, students will also be provided free hostel facilities at Centurion University. The focus is on students from socio-economically disadvantaged groups who cannot afford to go to Delhi for coaching.
Secretary of the Higher Education Department Bishnupada Sethi said through the scheme, the government is aiming to build an ecosystem where IAS aspirants from Odisha will be provided hand-holding support to clear the UPSC.
“The poor and meritorious students of Odisha are also shy of appearing for the UPSC exam because of the large number of students from across the country who take the exam. Through this initiative, we will also try to build the confidence of such students to appear in the UPSC,” he said.
While the current coaching system will operate from Centurion University, the department will subsequently set up a centralised professional coaching centre with a state-of-the-art library and digital learning hub at Bhubaneswar for the aspirants.
Earlier, the State Higher Education Council had stated there is an urgent need to improve civil services success rate for candidates from Odisha, particularly those from the socio-economically disadvantaged groups who cannot afford the coaching. Of the total candidates clearing the civil services examination, Odisha accounts for less than 1 pc. Many states like Kerala, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat have adopted centralised coaching systems which results in a high success rate.