Sidho Kanho Birsha varsity to coach students for civil services exam

Kolkata: The Sidho Kanho Birsha University became the first university in the state to introduce open coaching centres for its students for the state civil services examination, at a function.

Professor Dipak Ranjan Moldol, vice-chancellor of SKBU, inaugurated the centre. The centre will be run by the Placement and Training Cell of the university. He said the students will be given the best guidance available in Bengal.

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has emphasised repeatedly on the need to train up the students for competitive examinations conducted by both the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

To get the students acquainted with the functioning of various state government departments, they are allowed to attend the administrative review meetings chaired by the Chief Minister in different districts. The centre at SKBU will coach 50 students. Classes will be held regularly. The registration fee is Rs 200 and the monthly tuition fee is Rs 100.

The university authorities had issued a notification on March 6, asking interested students to get in touch with its office. The last date of submission of forms was March 14.

Gurudas Mondol, assistant registrar and head of the Training and Placement Cell, said books and periodicals have been procured for the students. "The students will get the best facilities and infrastructure," he maintained.

Professor Sanat Mahato, head of the department of Mathematics, will coordinate with the teachers.

Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs department will provide the money to set up a new building, where the training centre will be housed. The estimated cost of the proposed building will be anywhere between Rs 1.50 crore to Rs 2 crore.

It may be recalled that Presidency College had opened a centre to coach students for the IAS examination. But the centre was closed, after the college was upgraded to a university.

There are private coaching centres that charge huge money to provide coaching for PSC and UPSC examinations.