Set up UPSC exam centre at Ludhiana or Jalandhar: Badal

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has urged the union government to set up an examination centre either at Ludhiana or Jalandhar to facilitate the civil services aspirants from the state.

In a letter written to Union Minister of State for Personnel and Training Jitendra Singh, the chief minister apprised him that thousands of students from the state appear for civil services examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) annually, according to an official release issued here on Sunday.

The chief minister said at present there is no examination centre in the state.

‘Chandigarh being the nearest centre, all students from Punjab have to come here for appearing in the prestigious examination. Many of these students have to travel 300 km to reach Chandigarh.

‘As the examination starts in the morning, students who come from far off places in Punjab cannot afford to take risk of travelling from their hometown to Chandigarh on the day of the examination.