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The Tribal Training and Research Institute (TRTI) has said action will be taken against private coaching centres using tablet devices, financial incentives, and other discounts to bait students.
A circular by issued by TRTI Commissioner Deepa Mudhol Munde on October 14 said coaching centres empanelled by the institute for competitive pre-examination training are not permitted to offer freebies or incentives to students over and above the laid out benefits in the scheme. Usage of government logos and names of government institutions by such coaching centres in advertisements is also not allowed, the circular said.
Organisations like BARTI, SARTHI, MAHAJYOTI AND TRTI offer various schemes to students from Scheduled Castes, Maratha/Kunbi, OBC/VJNT/SBC, and Scheduled Tribe students. Private coaching centres are empanelled for competitive pre-examination training for entrance tests including Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Students are selected for these competitive pre-examination training through a Common Entrance Test (CET). The selected students can then select an empanelled coaching centre for their test preparation.
However, it has been found that these coaching centres were offering incentives like tablets and discounts to attract students. “Appropriate action will be taken against the concerned training centres and they will be blacklisted,” said Mudhol Munde.
In 2023, commissioner of TRTI was appointed as chairperson of the sub-committee for implementation and monitoring of the competitive exam schemes. The sub-committee was formed to bring uniformity in the various schemes of BARTI, SARTHI, MAHAJYOTI, MAMFDC, AMRUT, and TRTI.
BARTI, SARTHI and MAHAJYOTI have also been under fire in recent times due to research fellowships for MPhil and PhD being stalled since the last two years. Student organisations held a days long protest at Goodluck Chowk in September for the revival of these fellowships. President of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) Prakash Ambedkar has also lent support to this protest.
