The civil services coaching programme sponsored by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Paderu has evoked huge response this year. It has been four days since the ITDA has started to receive applications from the interested tribal youth and nearly 1,800 applications have reached the office.
Though the last date to receive applications is October 7 (4 p.m.), following the response for the programme, the authorities are now mulling to increase the deadline till the midnight to receive the applications. Degree passouts from Araku, Paderu, Hukumpeta, Munchingputtu, Pedabayulu, Chintapalli, G.K Veedhi, Koyyuru, Ananthagiri and a few others have shown their interest for the programme. However, despite the rise in the number of applicants, to ensure quality coaching, the ITDA has decided to stick to provide training to only around 50 youth. The candidates will be selected based on results of three screening tests, including an offline interview.
According to the ITDA authorities, the success of two girls – Ch Jeevana Padal, from Maoist hotbed Munchingputtu mandal and Ch. Venkata Satya Keerthi from Anakapalli – has inspired budding youth from the tribal areas to work hard and achieve their goals. While Jeevana Padal cleared the APPSC exam and will be the first woman from the interior Agency to don the police uniform of the rank of a DSP, Ms Venkata Satyakeerthi was recruited as a Lay Secretary in the Health Department, a Group I post. It was also learnt that the success stories of these two girls has not only led many parents from the interior areas to encourage their children to go for higher education, but has also highlighted the initiatives being taken by the ITDA to nurture the tribal youth.
“For the last year programme, we have received close to 1,000 applications. This year, the response is massive and we are expecting more. There will be two examinations, in which the first will be without negative marking. Then second test will have negative marking. Both the examinations are of objective type. After filtering, there will be an interview in which 50 candidates will be selected,” said ITDA Paderu Project Officer V. Abhishek speaking to The Hindu.
He said that after finalising 50 candidates, they will be shifted to Youth Training Centre (YTC) in Vepagunta, where the training programme will be conducted for about nine months. Coaching, accommodation and food will be sponsored by the ITDA Paderu, he said.
“We want to place them far away from their home towns. They should be in a secluded eco-system, where everybody is in a competitive mood,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of increasing the number of seats for the coaching programme, Mr. Abhishek said that last year they had planned for 50 and finalised 55 candidates. Yet again this year, they have decided to stick to 50, but in view of huge response, they may look to increase the number slightly. However, that depends on the candidates again, he said.
“It is not about funds or amenities at the accommodation centre. The YTC Vepagunta building is very huge. We wanted to provide good quality training. With short strength, we believe the teachers can focus on each and every student,” he added.
