Underprivileged students to get free IAS coaching classes

NEW DELHI: The government has planned to give free education for underprivileged students providing coaching classes in Delhi for professional courses, such as civil services.

The SC/ST welfare department led by SC/ST Welfare Minister will lead this initiative.

The minister, Rajendra Pal Gautam, asserted that the department is looking at all the aspects of this and will make the plan soon.

"If in one batch of a professional tutorial has 20 students then at least three students should be from poor families," Gautam said.

The department will select these students and send them to respective tutorials.

"We will fund these students and also arrange all the things they need for these studies," he said.

The rule will be strict about the admission of these students and the tutorials will not be allowed to take underprivileged students of their choice.

The minister elaborated that the tutorials would be allowed to submit their suggestions for these students but the final decision will be taken by the government.

Gautam added that the government will prepare the rules for selection of these students.

The government has not yet confirmed which professional courses would be included in this scheme.

When asked about tutorials for medical and engineering entrance examination, he said,"We have not yet decided the courses. Our focus will be on the courses like civil services and other professional courses like this."

The department would make categories of students on the basis of the family incomes. The families which have less than three lakhs income in a year will get the priority.

"I believe that separate tutorials for poor children in these professional courses are not helpful but I am confident that they have all the potential to seat in the same class with others," he said.

The minister explained that previously there was tutorial initiatives for the underprivileged students in professional courses but failed because of unavailability of teachers.

He added that the target of the department is to give these students same opportunity as others and also help them to get good jobs.

The SC/ST welfare department gets nearly Rs 700 crore for the development of the underprivileged families in the city. Gautam said that this new initiative will not only help the aspirants but also encourage the future students.

The minister will hold a meeting with the officials of the department this week along with the representatives of SC/STs to formulate the rule.

"We will try to accommodate as many students possible in this initiative," the minister asserted.