NMC’s plan for UPSC, MPSC training centre still in limbo despite budget allocations

 

 

The increasing population in the city has meant that quality employment opportunity are far and few between. This has resulted in more and more students turning towards the government jobs for their livelihood. Realising the requirement, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) had approved establishment of dedicated training centres for UPSC and MPSC exams in the city. Sadly, the training centres are yet to see the light of the day. A long-standing proposal by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to establish a dedicated training centre for UPSC (Civil Services) and MPSC (State Services) examinations has been languishing for over five years, despite initial budgetary approval in 2021-22. The initiative, aimed at boosting the participation of city’s youth in administrative services, has failed to materialise, leaving students without crucial support to prepare for competitive exams.

 

The decision to set up the training centre was first proposed in 2015 by former corporators Manisha Ghodeswar and Avinash Thakre during an NMC general body meeting. The proposal garnered widespread support, with the goal of addressing the dismal representation of Vidarbha students in UPSC and MPSC examinations. Statistics indicate that Vidarbha’s success rate in MPSC exams has rarely exceeded 8 to 10 per cent, while the region’s performance in UPSC exams remains negligible, largely due to a lack of proper guidance. In response, the NMC’s Social Development Department prepared a detailed proposal, and site inspections were conducted to identify suitable locations. The initiative was further backed by former mayors Prof Anil Sole and Sandeep Joshi, as well as Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who included the establishment of such a centre in his election manifestos of 2014, 2019, and 2024. Despite these commitments and budget approval, the project remains stuck in bureaucratic limbo.“Post-COVID-19 and with no elected corporators in the NMC, the training centre plan has completely stalled,” said Avinash Thakre, highlighting the administrative inertia that has plagued the initiative.

 

In contrast, municipal corporations in western Maharashtra, such as Pimpri-Chinchwad, Thane, and Dharashiv, have successfully established similar centres, significantly improving local students’ success rates in competitive exams. Ambernath Municipal Council has even launched a residential training facility. Despite the presence of NMC’s e-libraries, reading rooms, and a State-run pre-IAS training centre in the city, students from outside the Vidarbha region benefit more from these resources. The failure to establish the proposed centre remains a significant setback for city’s aspiring civil servants, underscoring a missed opportunity to empower local youth.