Odisha to impart free IAS coaching to Plus III students 

To help civil service aspirants from Odisha, the Higher Education department has decided to launch a free coaching programme for Plus III students. 

A decision regarding launching a free coaching facility for students was taken in a review meeting held under the chairmanship of Higher Education Department secretary, Aravind Agrawal on November 20. 

“The objective is to make the students competitive to appear in exams like OAS, IAS and JAM. The students will be so prepared as to succeed in the exams. The colleges will start the coaching centre from their own funds” said advisor to the Higher Education department, Dr Tanmay Swain. 

Also Read: Poor results haunt Odisha govt’s free IAS coaching, Higher Edu Secy asks officers to pull up socks    

The same programme launched earlier spending crores of rupees yielded no results. The lack of infrastructure was then blamed. As per the information shared in the House, the free coaching was launched in eight universities and over 50 degree colleges. Students had availed the free coaching facility but none could succeed. 

In the second phase, the government roped in a private organisation named Dhyeya Institute to provide free coaching to aspirants in Bhubaneswar in the year 2019-20. As many as 99 students enrolled to avail free coaching facility. But, this time too, none could crack the UPSC exam.

Hence, the students are sceptical about the success of the government’s latest initiative. 

“The participation of Odia medium students has been discouraging. Now, they will get an opportunity to be at par with their English medium counterparts,” said Prachi Pratyasha Dash, an IAS aspirant. 

“We have already taken the initiative in our Sambalpur University. We, with the help of the Western Odisha Development Council, are opening a coaching centre. In Western Odisha, the representation of ST/SC students in the UPSC is low. Our aim is to increase their number,” said Vice Chancellor of Sambalpur University, Prof Bidhu Bhusan Mishra.