LUCKNOW: Taking note of the dismal record of the free coaching institutes for SC/ST and OBC aspirants to help them prepare for the civil services exam, the social welfare department is now planning to appoint retired IAS officials at the helm of these institutes to streamline their operations and deliver better results.
In the past 20 years, only three students of these coaching institutes could make it to Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and customs and excise, while some cleared other exams, but none were able to gain entry into the IAS or IPS.
Officials say the infrastructure of these residential coaching centres is so poor that around 200-300 seats of the 1,250 on offer are vacant and cite poor policy and lack of funds as reasons for the poor conditions.
There are seven institutes in UP — two in Lucknow and one each in Prayagraj, Hapur, Aligarh, Agra and Varanasi.
The building of the co-ed institute in Hapur is in a rundown state and needs immediate repairs and renovation. Around 300 seats are vacant due to the poor state of buildings and lack of resources, said an official. Students, whose family income is less than Rs 6 lakh per annum, are selected for the coaching through a written test.
Retd IAS to head 6 out of 7 centres
“These coaching institutes were set up by Mayawati government. The idea was good, but due to practical operational difficulties their results have not been up to the mark. The government is, however, addressing these issues and we are planning to improve the quality of education in these institutes,” said a senior government official.
The department is planning to post retired IAS officers as head of six of the seven institutes for a term of two years to streamline their functioning and improve results.
“Earlier, the coaching duration was just six months, but in 2019, we increased it to a year. The coaching for a tough exam like civil services cannot be of six months since the duration is too short to prepare the aspirants well enough to crack the exam. However, many students we get come from underprivileged category background and they are happy to clear recruitment exam for lower jobs after undergoing the coaching. We need to motivate them to work harder to qualify for IAS and IPS,” the officer said.
“There are certain other aspects also which need a rethink. For instance, students can take this coaching just once. Civil services aspirants prepare for years, hence those from deprived sections cannot be expected to clear the exam in one attempt. Besides, the guest lecturers are also not paid very well, which is one reason why the quality gets compromised. The appointment of retired bureaucrats as directors of these institutes would improve functioning and results,” he said.
In the past 20 years, only three students of these coaching institutes could make it to Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and customs and excise, while some cleared other exams, but none were able to gain entry into the IAS or IPS.
Officials say the infrastructure of these residential coaching centres is so poor that around 200-300 seats of the 1,250 on offer are vacant and cite poor policy and lack of funds as reasons for the poor conditions.
There are seven institutes in UP — two in Lucknow and one each in Prayagraj, Hapur, Aligarh, Agra and Varanasi.
The building of the co-ed institute in Hapur is in a rundown state and needs immediate repairs and renovation. Around 300 seats are vacant due to the poor state of buildings and lack of resources, said an official. Students, whose family income is less than Rs 6 lakh per annum, are selected for the coaching through a written test.
Retd IAS to head 6 out of 7 centres
“These coaching institutes were set up by Mayawati government. The idea was good, but due to practical operational difficulties their results have not been up to the mark. The government is, however, addressing these issues and we are planning to improve the quality of education in these institutes,” said a senior government official.
The department is planning to post retired IAS officers as head of six of the seven institutes for a term of two years to streamline their functioning and improve results.
“Earlier, the coaching duration was just six months, but in 2019, we increased it to a year. The coaching for a tough exam like civil services cannot be of six months since the duration is too short to prepare the aspirants well enough to crack the exam. However, many students we get come from underprivileged category background and they are happy to clear recruitment exam for lower jobs after undergoing the coaching. We need to motivate them to work harder to qualify for IAS and IPS,” the officer said.
“There are certain other aspects also which need a rethink. For instance, students can take this coaching just once. Civil services aspirants prepare for years, hence those from deprived sections cannot be expected to clear the exam in one attempt. Besides, the guest lecturers are also not paid very well, which is one reason why the quality gets compromised. The appointment of retired bureaucrats as directors of these institutes would improve functioning and results,” he said.
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