The Chennai-based Azhagiya Kadan IAS Academy, launched in 2012 to train minority students, particularly Muslims in Civil Service Examinations, has decided to extend the training programme to students from other religions from the current year.
“We will provide free food, accommodation and training to them. In the case of Muslim students, we are accommodating them in our mosque. For other students, we are considering a suitable place,” said Moulana Shamsudeen Qasismi, the founder and chairman of Azhagiya Kadan Charitable Trust and of the academy.
The academy will conduct entrance examination in eight centres — Tirunelveli, Madurai, Tiruchi, Chennai, Vellore, Krishnagiri and Coimbatore — on August 30. Every year the academy offers training to 70 students.
“The only criterion for joining our institute is the student should clear the entrance test and provide proof that his or her family is not able to meet the educational expenses,” Mr Shamsudeen said.
The academy is drawing on the faculty from Shankar IAS Academy besides regularly bringing in teachers from Delhi to teach the students. It also meets the travel expenses of students writing examinations and attending interviews apart from arranging accommodation in Delhi.
“A student will be given a maximum of four opportunities to appear in the examination if he or she shows the signs of clearing it,” said Mr Shamsudeen.
“We want to be a model mosque. We want to remove the wrong notions about mosques from the minds of people. People from all faiths can visit our mosque. Our concept has received appreciation across States and I am visiting places like Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Secundarabad to explain our training programme” he said.
The academy, functioning from Makka Masjid campus on Anna Salai, launched a training programme for Muslim girls in 2014. This year 65 boys and 15 girls from the academy are appearing for Civil Services. Next year, girls from other religions would be included in the training programme.
The student should have passed the entrance and must show proof of poor economic background
Published - August 12, 2015 12:00 am IST
