Students from the State must work hard to clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination, said Minister for Rural Development S.P. Velumani here on Tuesday.
He was the chief guest at the ‘Higher Education Conclave 2019’ organised jointly by The Hindu’s Future India Club and Amma IAS Academy.
Mr. Velumani, founder of Amma IAS Academy, in his inaugural address, said the State government was focusing on higher education and that free training for UPSC exam was being provided at institutions like Bharathiar University and Madurai Kamaraj University. “Candidates from Tamil Nadu must clear the IAS, IPS, IFS and IRS exams in large numbers and must work across the country,” Mr. Velumani said.
The event saw the participation of nearly 160 heads of colleges and universities from Coimbatore, Tiruppur and the Nilgiris.
Mahendra Ramdas, trustee, Nallaram Trust, read the message of S.P. Anbarasan, chairman of Amma IAS Academy and Nallaram Trust. S. Kirubanidhi, chief executive officer, Amma IAS Academy, P. Kaliraj, Vice-Chancellor, Bharathiar University; Sravan Kumar Jatavath, Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner; S. Malarvizhi, chairperson and managing trustee, Sri Krishna Institutions; B.K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, chairman, Kumaraguru Institutions; G. Krithika, trustee, Nallaram Trust, and Vivek Anbarasan, trustee, Nallaram Trust, took part in the event.
In the second half of the conclave, Sudhir Chandra, former Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes, spoke on the challenges of preparation for the UPSC exam. He debunked various myths about the examination to the audience. P.J. Thomas, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner of India, spoke about the relevance of higher education in the current competitive scenario.
V. Nandakumar, Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, explained the importance of educational institutions in shaping students. G.B. Vinaykumar, founder and director of Insights IAS, recommended practices to follow during preparation for the UPSC examination.
S. Nirmala, principal, PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, said that she found the session with the keynote speakers particularly useful and that her college would arrange workshops for the UPSC aspirants soon.
K.A. Chinnaraju, director of Kovai Kalaimagal Group of Institutions, said the conclave provided an insight into the future of higher education and the importance of competitive examinations.
