Nagpur University senate clears residential training centre for UPSC, MPSC aspirants

There is good news for students preparing for examinations such as the UPSC and MPSC. The senate of Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University has approved a residential training centre. This opens the way for training and accommodation arrangements on the university campus itself.

The demand for such a centre had been raised for several years, but the matter could not move forward for want of funds. At the senate meeting, former member Dinesh ShERAM raised the issue. Vice-Chancellor Dr Manali Kshirsagar then took a positive view of it and assured that a training centre would be started.

Under the plan, students from the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) will benefit. There is also a plan to include economically weaker students of the open category under the EWS category. The aim is that needy and economically weaker students get the guidance and facilities required for examinations such as the UPSC and MPSC.

Initially, no separate building will be constructed for the centre. Vacant rooms in the Students' Hall will be used as temporary accommodation for students coming from outside. The hall has four-seater rooms for athletes taking part in university-level sports competitions. The athletes do not stay in these rooms all year, so students preparing for competitive examinations can stay in them when they are vacant.

This arrangement will provide accommodation to only a limited number of students in the initial phase. The university is trying to ensure that competitive examination training reaches economically weaker and needy students from different categories.

The training could help students move towards careers in the administrative services. With better preparation, they could work towards selection to the IAS, IPS and several other administrative services.

Students will now watch for when the centre starts, how many seats it will have, what the admission process will be and what the training programme will look like. They are awaiting detailed information on all of this.