India to have 31 BR Ambedkar Centres to offer free training for UPSC civil services

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The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is launching as many as 31 Dr BR Ambedkar Centres of Excellence across India starting from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). These centres will provide free coaching for Civil Services Examinations to the students from Scheduled Caste Category.

To be eligible for training under the centres, students will have to pass the entrance test. Each Centre will have 100 seats for coaching. As many as 33 per cent of total sanctioned seats may preferably be given to eligible female candidates of the SC category.

Three faculty members will be appointed in each Centre. Centres proposed to have separate classrooms, Library, Hi-speed Wi-Fi connectivity and other required infrastructure for smooth functioning.

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BHU will play host to the national launch of Dr Ambedkar Centre of Excellence on April 22. The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar, in presence of Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel and Vice-Chancellor, BHU, Prof. Sudhir K Jain will launch the centre.

The proposed centre is being set up in 31 Central Universities from all over the country, Banaras Hindu University, being one of them. The launch program is scheduled to take place at the Shatabdi Krishi Prekshagrih, Institute of Agricultural Sciences.

Vice-Chancellors of all the other universities, where the Centre is to be set up, will also be present on the occasion. Two MoUs will be signed between the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation and implementing universities for setting up the centres and Dr. Ambedkar Chairs.

Prof. R. N. Kharwaar, Department of Botany, Institute of Science, has been named the nodal officer for the launch programme of DACE in Banaras Hindu University.

Many universities including Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI), and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) were already offering free coaching for civil services to meritorious students who fall under religious, social, and economic minorities.

Almost every year, these centres deliver toppers, however, the same were under the radar for alleged ‘UPSC Jihad’ implying pushing more students from Muslim religion into UPSC civil services. These allegations were rendered baseless and faced flak.