By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: The newly-instituted Central-Government funded coaching institute Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) of Aligarh Muslim University will hold its first National Level Entrance Test for admission at RCA for Central and state government exams including Civil Services. The test will be held on 15th July 2010 at seven centres across the country.
The pattern of the question paper of the aforesaid entrance test will be objective and multiple choice questions. The centres are:
1. Aligarh
2. Patna
3. Lucknow
4. Srinagar
5. Kolkata
6. Guwahati
7. Kozhikode
RCA will provide coaching for the following competitive examinations:
1. Civil Services Examination – UPSC
2. Provincial Services Examinations
3. Judicial Services [PCS (J)]
4. Public Sector Banks and Insurance
5. Indian Railway Services
Despite so many coaching institutes for civil services aspirants from minority community, the number of successful minority candidates in civil services has been declining.
Asked about the decline in the number of Muslims in civil services, Prof. Ziauddin Khairoowala, Dean, Faculty of Commerce, and now Director of the Residential Coaching Academy cited three reasons: “The community youth are less motivated. Lesser number of Muslim students are appearing in civil services. And there is a sort of discrimination at interview level.” Talking to TCN from Aligarh Prof. Khairoowala also said proper coaching for writing skill and personality development is not being provided at minority community coaching institutes.
RCA, however, will design their courses in such a way that in addition to the coaching for central and state services exams the students may also prepare for other services such SSC, Banking services etc. The course modules will include communication skills and personality development with computer usage.
Prof Khairoowala also said that community candidates are little informed about coaching institutes for civil services, and that’s why RCA will also work on this front.
“We are holding a nationwide test for admission at RCA, and for this test we will publish advertisement in newspapers across the country. We are also developing website for RCA,” Prof Khairoowala said.
RCA, set up by the Union HRD Ministry in February this year, is meant for Minorities/SCs/STs & Women. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has laid down features and instructions to run the Academy.
The RCA will have capacity for about 200 students initially, but it will start running with 100 candidates. The University will consider reservation for women upto 40%.
No tuition fee will be charged, however, a nominal fee towards registration and charges for hostel accommodation and meals can be collected by the Academy.
The Academy will offer stipend @ Rs. 2000/= per month to the 20% of the total admitted students on the basis of mean-cum-merit. The guidelines in respect of income criteria issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Ministry of Minority Affairs will be adopted.
Resources in the form of faculty and course material will be shared by the four universities (AMU, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University and Jamia Hamdard).
Vice-Chancellor/Professor/In-Charge of the Residential Coaching
Academies of four universities (AMU, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University and Jamia Hamdard) will meet on regular basis to share healthy practice, resources and expertise etc.
Prof. Naima Khatoon of the Department of Philosophy has been appointed Deputy Director of RCA.
The UGC has sanctioned non-recurring and recurring grant amounting to Rs.1328.78 lakhs for the period up to September 2012.