COIMBATORE: Four visually challenged students, who attended classes in the free coaching centre run by the National Federation of Blind at Singanallur, cleared the Group- 2 Exam (Non-Interview Posts) conducted by the TNPSC. Out of 12 students of the centre who cleared the Group - 2 Preliminary Exam four have secured jobs. The selected students are from Coimbatore, Nilgiris and Ramanathapuram districts.
The preliminary exam was held on May 21, 2022 and the result was declared in November. The main exam was held on February 25, 2023 and results were declared on January 11.
Speaking to TNIE, K Ganesh, the centre’s faculty coordinator, told TNIE, “We provided training for 17 students from Coimbatore, Tirupur, Dharmapuri, Theni, Virudhunagar, Namakkal, Salem and Ramanathapuram districts. We conducted regular classes with faculties who volunteered for teaching. The candidates were given free accommodation and food by the NFB, as all of them are from the economically weaker communities.”
T Sadhasivam, who is visually challenged and a coordinator of NFB, said, “We started the centre in 2015 with the support of volunteers. We conduct classes for three months prior to TNPSC and other exams like bank, insurance, railway, etc. As many as 146 persons who studied at the centre have secured government jobs in this period. For conducting classes, at least, Rs 1 lakh is needed for providing accommodation, food and other needs for a month.”
V Arunkumar (26) of Kaliappagoundenpudur in Pollachi taluk is one among the four students who cleared the exam. He is a B.Com graduate. “My father is a potter. I wanted to get the government job, but I could not clear exam till 2019. Once I came to know about the centre, I attending its classes. In 2022, I cleared the Railway Board Exam and got selection as senior assistant.
I have been waiting for the order. Meanwhile, I cleared group -2 (non interview posts) only with the support of the centre,” he said. Arunkumar also said 12 more candidates who cleared the preliminary could have cleared the final exam had they got a better scribe in the main exam.
R Vignesh (23) of Ramanathapuram district, who is the son of a daily wage labour, cleared the exam in his first attempt after attending classes for the last two years. He is a B.A English graduate.