Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will launch a special training programme for the fisher youths to help them to join Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) after cracking the written examination.
Acting on the government order dated November 28, 2016, the fisheries department has chalked out a programme to offer special coaching to 50 youths — all wards of fishermen in Rameswaram, Pamban and few from Thoothukudi in a residential coaching centre at Pirappanvalasai near here.
The Chief Minister would launch the training programme on November 25, when he visits the headquarters to address the ‘Bharat Ratna MGR centenary celebrations’, Additional Director of fisheries G.S. Sameeran has said.
The three-month tailor-made training programme, organised in coordination with the marine police of the coastal security group, was aimed at preparing the youths to clear the written examinations conducted by the navy and ICG for various posts such as sailor and seamen.
The youths would be coached with the help of faculty members from schools, coaching institutions and the study centre of Alagappa University.
The department has already selected the youths with minimum qualification of plus two, he said. They would be offered monthly stipend of ₹1,000 during the three months, he added. Officials from ICG and Navy would address sessions and the Marine police would provide physical training, he added.
Wards of the fishermen, who were well versed in sailing, swimming and diving, could not get selected in navy and coast guard as they could not clear the written examinations, fishermen leaders said and welcomed the coaching programme.
Even after the coaching, the youths would find it difficult as the examinations were held in Hindi and English, they said and appealed to the authorities to consider conducting the examinations in regional languages. They also pleaded that the wards of fishermen be given bonus marks during recruitments in Navy and Coast Guard.
