Education for all

Aspiring to clear the civil service examinations is easier said than done,with the first hurdle being the hefty tuition fee one needs to pay in order to enroll in a coaching.

By paying just Rs 1,000 per year,students can undergo coaching for the UPSC exams at Ex-Fergussonians Association

Aspiring to clear the civil service examinations is easier said than done,with the first hurdle being the hefty tuition fee one needs to pay in order to enroll in a coaching. This being one of the main reasons why genuine aspirants fail to enroll in coaching institutes and make the most of the opportunity. With this objective in mind,the Ex-Fergussonians Association (EFA) has taken up the initiative to coach students who are promising enough when it comes to hard work and sustained efforts,at a fees of just Rs 1000 per year.

In the 60s,the University of Pune had taken up a programme for training students for the IAS examinations and Thomas Gay was its in-charge. It continued for a few years but we could not manage to sustain it. Finally,we shifted to Deccan College,which again lasted for some time. Then,some time back,we started the Centre for Competitive Studies at the EFA. Here we train students for UPSC and MPSC exams, says Dr V M Bachal,ex-principal,Fergusson College and now,co-ordinator of this initiative. It has been a huge task. Though we still havent managed to start a full-fledged centre,we are ready to make all efforts for the same. For now,we are conducting it on a short-term basis. We engage classes on Sundays for a duration of two hours. We also have a small library which the students can avail free of cost along with the coaching. The other coordinators are Professor Kapse and Savita Bhave,who are efficient enough to handle all the activities conducted, adds Dr Bachal.

On being asked about their criteria for selecting students and the subjects that are being taught,he adds,As of now,we are confined to taking students only from the Fergusson College,BMCC and other DES institutions; however we are open to taking students from other colleges also. Every week,we make students write on current topics,which are then evaluated by teachers. Also,we have eminent professors and experts who provide students with required guidance on subjects like English,General Studies,Psychology and History.They are coached on interview skills and the Constitution of India.

Occasionally the IAS and IPS officers are invited to deliver lectures. To mention a few,Vishwas Nangre-Patil,IPS Officer,P S Palande,IAS officer,Anand Maslekar,retd DFO and P R Dubashi,retd IAS officer,have delivered lectures here, says Prof Ram Kapse,retd professor,Government College,who is currently teaching Political Science at the DES Law College. Our basic aim has been to train students and equip them with all the resources necessary to clear the tough competitive exam. We dont believe in working for monetary benefits. The fact that students are better equipped when they face the examinations is satisfactory for us. Even a mention of the fact that we charge nominal amount seems trivial for us, asserts Prof Kapse.

The admissions for the next batch,which will start around the months of July and August,are still in progress.

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