The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has planned to set up training centres for competitive exams, which will offer free coaching to students in need. The aspiring UPSC and state civil services candidates will be trained under this initiative for a year.
The civic body will spend around Rs17,000 per student as part of the initiative. As many as 150 hopefuls of UPSC and MPSC exams would be admitted in this course, which is to be conducted in association with the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).
A proposal regarding the same was recently approved by the PMC’s standing committee. “It was a long pending demand from the students and training staff to start such a course. The SPPU has supported the move and has agreed to provide the educational expertise for the training,” said Hemant Rasane, chairman of the standing committee.
As per the proposal, 100 students from the reserved category and 50 students from open category will get admission in the course. An entrance exam for the same would be conducted and the successful students would get admission.
The civic officials said that the initiative would be coordinated by the urban community development (social welfare) department of PMC
“The educational expense of the students will be borne by the PMC. The initiative aims at increasing the participation of students from financially weaker sections in competitive exams. Family income and other factors such as score in the entrance exam would be considered for giving admissions,” said a senior PMC official.
He said the training would include preparation for prelims and mains exams. Interview skills and group discussion skills would be taught. Mock tests and interviews would be conducted. The PMC officials said budgetary provision for the payment had been made. If required, the diversion of funds from other heads could be made, depend on the financial situation.
