COIMBATORE: The long pending demand for setting Coimbatore as a centre for Civil Service Preliminary Examination has been realised with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) notifying it as the third such centre in Tamil Nadu.
Coimbatore has been included as a centre for preliminary examination in the latest notification by UPSC for Civil Service Examination, 2014. So far, Chennai and Madurai were the only centres in TN apart from another centre in Puducherry.
Academicians have welcomed the decision wholeheartedly as the new centre will serve as the nearest place for candidates from western districts of TN, some parts of Kerala and Karnataka.E Balagurusamy, academician and former member of UPSC who was active in seeking UPSC an examination centre in Coimbatore welcomed the decision.“We have been trying for the same since 2009 and it gave fruits only now. This will increase the number of candidates appearing for the examination from the region and as a whole from TN. The new centre will also help women candidates who are usually hesitant to travel to distant places and appear for the examination”, opined Balagurusamy.
P Kanagaraj, associate professor of political science at Government Arts College Coimbatore who also conducts free Civil Services Examination coaching said Coimbatore deserved a centre by all means.
“Next to Chennai, the highest number of candidates appearing for the examination in TN is from Coimbatore. More than 8,000 candidates are appearing for the preliminaries from the region each year. It can also be a centre for three states”, felt Kanagaraj.
He pointed that the city also has two Kendriya Vidyalaya that are usually chosen as centre for the examination by UPSC.