No Money Barrier: Jharkhand's Free Civil Services Coaching Scheme

Many talented students in Jharkhand have been unable to pursue civil services because they cannot afford expensive coaching. The state government now plans to change that with a scheme offering free preparation for 100 eligible candidates annually.

The program will prepare students for UPSC and JPSC examinations, along with civil services exams conducted by other state governments.

An outline titled 'CM Training and Mentorship Scheme for Civil Services Examination' was prepared by the Higher and Technical Education Department. Chief Minister Hemant Soren has cleared the proposal, which will be presented to the cabinet next.

Goals of the initiative

The initiative aims to give economically weaker candidates access to free, high-quality training. Facilities will include study material, mentorship from expert teachers, and periodic assessments.

Eligibility requirements

Applicants must be residents of Jharkhand and their annual family income must not exceed 8 lakh rupees. They need a valid local residence certificate issued by a competent authority. Candidates must also have completed Class 10 and Class 12, or a diploma, from a recognised institution in the state.

A candidate who has already availed this scheme once will not qualify again.

Online application and merit-based selection

Applications will be accepted online. The selection process will follow reservation norms, and category-wise merit lists will be issued.

Selected students must attend offline classes for a minimum of 16 hours each week. The training will last 13 months in total. Nine months are allotted for the preliminary exam. Those who pass the preliminary exam will get three months of training for the mains, and candidates who qualify the mains will receive one month of further training.

Subjects and learning resources

The 100 selected candidates will get free coaching in political science and international relations, sociology, geography, history, economics, public administration, philosophy, general science, environment, and technology development. Live and recorded video lessons along with online test materials will also be provided.

Incentives for successful candidates

The government is considering an incentive of 2 lakh rupees for candidates who are finally selected in the UPSC examination. Candidates selected through state service commissions will receive 1 lakh rupees. The proposal will be enforced after cabinet approval.