Amin Patel, Member of the Legislative Assembly, has urged Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijuju to resume operations at the Coaching and Guidance Centre located at Haj House near Crawford Market. This centre, which commenced in 2009, has been instrumental in providing coaching and residential facilities to minority students aspiring for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and allied services.
Significant Achievements and Impact
Since its inception, the centre has helped 25 students clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams. Initially, it began with an intake of 50 students, with the first success story emerging the very next year. In 2017, the centre underwent a revamp, increasing its intake to 200 students annually. Over the years, 150 students from the centre have also cleared other government exams.
Current Challenges
Despite its success, the centre has not issued new notifications since 2023. Patel highlighted that in 2021-22, the intake was inexplicably reduced to 100 students despite a capacity for 200. Additionally, mentors were replaced by tutors from coaching classes, and the provision for senior students to reattempt the UPSC was discontinued.
Patel’s Appeal
Patel emphasized the centre’s role in motivating minority youth to participate actively in national life. He noted that the centre did not rely on government funds but used the Haj pilgrimage corpus to support its activities. Given that the Haj House rooms are only used for one and a half months each year, Patel argued that the centre could provide a safe and conducive environment for female students, whose parents felt reassured by the facility’s security.
Patel called for the immediate issuance of a fresh notification to admit a new batch of students, asserting that restarting the centre would enable minority students to pursue their dreams of becoming civil servants and contribute to nation-building.