Ex-bureaucrats groom youth for civil services exams

60 students registered; given free weekly tips

Concerned and dismayed over the lack of interest among displaced Kashmiri Pandit youth in a career in civil services, former civil servants have started a programme to groom youngsters and prepare them for competitive examinations like those for the KAS, IAS and the IPS.
About 60 boys and girls have registered themselves with the group, which meets every Sunday in a small room at Durga Nagar, having a sizable population of migrant Pandits. They are given tips about ways to prepare themselves for these competitive examinations.
The group is likely to expand its programme to involve students from across Jammu, and those from other communities in second phase.
Members comprise former Chief Secretary Vijay Bakaya; former DGP Prisons (J&K) Ashok Bhan, former DGP (J&K) Kuldeep Khoda, former bureaucrat Yoginder Kaul and some retired professors and officials.
“We want to catch youngsters and ignite their interest in pursuing civil services as their career. There are a lot of queries regarding how to prepare for the examination after the completion of higher or technical courses. There are no charges and our team is available at the All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC) office on every Sunday,” said SK Raina of the coordination team.
Since the exodus of the 3.5 lakh minority Hindu population from Kashmir, very few youngsters have opted and cracked civil services examination. This is partly due to the breakdown of the social set-up which affected the society as they got scattered and the ‘migrant quota’ introduced by various state governments in India in technical and professional colleges, giving youth an opportunity to sidestep the competitive examinations, get technical degrees and find jobs to sustain their families.
Other reasons include pursuing education in squalid camp life was difficult, poor financial conditions of families due to migration and general status symbol associated with pursuing engineering and medical education.
“We don’t blame the lack of interest among youth. After migration, everyone wanted a quick way to find jobs to run families. Now, parents want their kids to take a plunge in civil services. We are giving students tips to build confidence on how to prepare for the tough competition exams,” said Vijay Bakaya, former Chief Secretary, J&K.
A few decades ago, Pandit bureaucrats held important positions in decision-making centres, both in J&K and New Delhi, but the number has fallen considerably after the migration.