JOIN USUnion Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar has called upon the State to constitute an expert committee to examine how candidates from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were highly successful in the civil service examinations.
Speaking at a felicitation event for qualified candidates in civil service exams at JSS Training Institute for Competitive Examinations (JSSTICE), Ananth Kumar said, “If you look at the success ratio in this examination across the country, it is the applicants from these two states that fare really well.
We have to find out more about the kind of support they get from their State governments and the kind of preparation that they go through for this exam, in order to increase the success ratio of Karnataka candidates as well.”
Supporting the protest of civil service aspirants in Delhi, against the new CSAT, Ananth Kumar empathised with the students.
“The students have expressed that a significant percentage of marks in the exam is for English language and hence, students who have studied in regional languages find it difficult to perform well in the CSAT exam. They want the government to revert back to the old format of civil service exam. I will also push for it and talk to the prime minister in this regard,” he added.
With regard to the government civil service coaching centres, Ananth Kumar felt that the State government should focus on establishing more such centres in cities other than Bangalore.
“Similar to the digital divide, there is also an imbalance in the opportunities provided for applicants outside Bangalore for preparations for this exam. This has to be set right. He also encouraged the state to open centres in Delhi too, since it is the hub for preparation for the exam, so that Karnataka candidates can make use of the opportunity in Delhi as well.”
At least 10 per cent of the successful candidates have to be from Karnataka, he said.
Sharing an anecdote with the audience, the minister said that he too had applied for the civil service exams in 1980.
“The hall ticket was sent to my home. But one of my mentors, who wanted me to be a politician, tore the hall ticket, I later started my career in politics.”
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who felicitated the students asked the candidates to work, keeping in mind the social and cultural situation of the country.
He also asked them to work in the interest of the backward classes and minorities.
According to JSSTICE, 15 of their students have qualified in the exam.