More students from Pune drawn to administrative services

“Naturally,we are tense,but are praying for Rahul’s success as he has put in a lot of work,” said their father Eknath Karale,a businessman.

UPSC is attracting more students,notably girls,in IT city Pune. “After MPSC,my target will be UPSC,” says Smita,still an undergraduate.

Smita and Rahul had even changed from the science to arts stream,mainly to give UPSC and MPSC a shot. “I am doing my college externally. This helps me find more time to prepare for competitive exams,” says Smita.

Like them,several undergraduates or post-graduates are looking at a career in the administrative services,which had not really caught up in Pune and other cities of Maharashtra as it had in Bihar,UP Orissa and some southern states.

The success of the likes of Sanket Bhondve,the first from Pimpri-Chinchwad to get into IAS,and girls who made it to the UPSC list,Rashmi Zagade and Sheetal Ugale,seem to have sparked more interest in IAS/IPS in the city. Smita feels more students from Maharashtra are getting drawn to the UPSC exam.

The UPSC doing away with examination fees,though nominal,for girls will encourage more of them to appear for the exam.

“It has not much to do with the economic aspect as fee is nominal. It has more to do with creating awareness and encouraging girls to appear for the exam. In 2002-03,hardly 10 out of 100 aspirants here were girls. Now,the number has gone up to 30-35,” said Tukaram Jadhav,director,Unique Academy.

“Doing away with fees for girls a symbolic step to encourage them,” said Avinash Dharmadhikari,founder of Chanakya Mandal Parivar.

“There has been a change in quality of students getting selected for civil services. They are younger and more dynamic. We have seen girls are more sensitive to some issues than their male counterparts because many of them face these issues themselves. A few women like Rashmi Zagade and Sheetal Ugale have set a great example,inspiring more women to opt for the civil services,” said Atul Lande,director,Synergy Study Point.

“Even if the fee is nominal,the move of scrapping it for girls is more about spreading the word. Till last year,there was an additional cost of stamp fee. Even that has been removed. There is a positive thinking of encouraging girls,” said Pallavi Kokate,who is preparing for UPSC exams.

As to why Pune’s track record in UPSC has not been good so far,Dharmadhikari said,“We have a long way to go compared to states like Bihar or UP but in the past few years,Pune has come up as a major centre in Maharashtra,which is a welcome sign.”

This year onwards,the exam will be conducted in June. “Till last year,the entire process took close to 14 months,” adds Jadhav. (With inputs from Manoj More)