People with disabilities, who are preparing for competitive exams to get government jobs, will now be reimbursed for fees, on tuitions in government-identified coaching centres, by the Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens.
K.N. Govindraju, director of the department, said that this scheme will help candidates preparing for the UPSCA, the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), bank exams and so on.
The scheme, christened Spardha Chetana, is the first of its kind in Karnataka to help candidates get financial help for training.
“Although, currently there is reservation for persons with disabilities, but very few of them take these examinations We hope that this initiative will help more candidates take competitive exams,” said Mr. Govindaraju.
However, the reimbursements can only be obtained if candidates are coached in government-identified centres.
Conditions for scheme
According to a government order, some of the conditions necessary to avail this reimbursement are that the candidate needs to meet the stipulated age criteria to take up the exam.
The candidate must have a disability of 40% or above.
The order also states that they need to have completed at least second pre-university or equivalent examination.
Candidates can avail a one-time reimbursement for a maximum of three subjects.
Candidates who wish to avail this benefit can contact their district disability officer.
A total of ₹1 crore has been set aside for this scheme for this financial year.
Mr. Govindaraju said that candidates could avail reimbursements ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹8,000 per month.
