How Jamia's IAS Coaching Centre Became Home to Rank Holders Like Shruti Sharma

The Residential Coaching Academy was established to give students from marginalised communities an equal platform.

23 candidates from the coaching institute ranked in the top 685 in the UPSC civil service examinations this year. 

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"They are not students who were born with silver spoons in their mouths. They have toiled, worked hard, and cracked the examination after 2-3 years. They will make great bureaucrats,” said Abid Haleem, professor incharge at Jamia Millia Islamia's Residential Coaching Academy.

The coaching academy has been in the limelight ever since Shruti Sharma, who was preparing here, got an All India Rank of 1 in the UPSC Civil Service Examinations.

But the institute has been churning out toppers year after year. This year, 23 candidates from RCA cracked the examinations. Most of them were from marginalised communities and women. The aim of the institute was to provide an inclusive platform for candidates, free of cost.

'Getting in Is Difficult But Worth It'

Areeba Noman, a candidate who appeared for the examination for the fourth time and got a rank of 109 this year, said that getting admitted to the academy was rigorous. The institute admits around 200 students every year. "We could get admitted through the All India Test which is almost like prelims these days. Candidates can also get admitted if they have cleared the prelims, on a first come, first serve basis.”

Once she was in, she had to pay a one-time fee of Rs 2,500, which is much less in comparison to other coaching institutes. The candidates said that once they got into the academy, they could prepare better because the environment is conducive to their preparations.

Suvigya S Chandra, from Bareilly, said that he chose to come to the academy because of its reputation as well as the affordability.

"This was my fourth attempt. I was preparing by myself and had never gone to a coaching institute. I then decided that I needed some guidance. I was very glad that I could get in here."

Suvigya S Chandra, a rank holder

Established With the Aim of Uplifting Minorities

Mohammad Tarique, deputy director of the academy, said that The Centre for Coaching and Career Planning was set in up in 1984 by Jamia Millia Islamia. The Residential Coaching Academy meant exclusively for civil service examinations was set up in 2010, when IAS Najeeb Jung was the vice-chancellor.

"He had a dream to establish a centre for minorities, scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, and women. Najeeb Jung established it under a University Grants Commission (UGC) scheme," he said.

Abid Haleem says:

Everyone who comes here is equal and they have the freedom. That creates confidence among them and a healthy learning environment."

'Want To Make a Change,' Say Rank Holders

According to Haleem, the candidates who are from minority communities and have worked hard to reach here will make good bureaucrats.

Tehseen Dawadi, originally from Karnataka, got a rank of 482 this year. She said that while preparing, she was exposed to statistics in the fields of gender and education, which made her want to work in these fields.

She said, "I will be working in two specific areas: Education and women empowerment. When you are still preparing, you are exposed to social issues and data which hits you to the core."