Free Coaching for IAS Aspirants in Odisha

Free Coaching for IAS Aspirants in Orissa

Odia Viswavidyalaya Trust, that has been spearheading the movement to set up an Odia university in the state, has decided to encourage students to take the civil services examination in Odia medium. The trust announced a scholarship for 100 students on Monday to provide free coaching for the aspirants who would write the exam in Odia (Oriya).

“It is noticed that the success rate of students who are appearing the civil services examination in their mother tongue is more than those who are writing the exam in the foreign language of English. Of the total successful students, about 33% are writing the exam in their mother tongue,” said Natabara Satpathy, vice-president of the trust.

The coaching for IAS examination will be provided by the Institute of Odia Study and Research, a wing of the Odia Viswabidyalaya Trust. Many noted professors and educationists of the state, who are members of the trust, would take classes while the trust will provide study material to students. Aspirants have to clear an entrance test. Those securing over 80% will be considered for the scholarship.

“It is always easy to write a paper in your mother tongue. Besides, by appearing the examination in Odia the competition at the national level will be minimized as a large number of students appear the exam in English,” said Satpathy.

Trustees and members also discussed developments for the establishment of the university. “We have got an offer of 12 acre land for the university in Kendrapada district. A number of Odias have also come forward with monetary support. I am quite hopeful that the university will take shape soon,” said noted linguist D P Pattanayak.

The movement to set up Odia university was started a few years ago with an aim to develop Odia language and to promote the literature, traditions, culture and folklore of Odisha along the lines of Tamil university Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu, Telugu University, Hyderabad, in Andhra Pradesh and Kannad Universty, Hampi, in Karnataka. (Source – The Times of India)