Aiming to increase the number of candidates from Gujarat aspiring to clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and state public commission services, a non-profit organisation in collaboration with the Modi Shaikshanik Sankul an educational complex for the needy students has launched a training centre for the youth.

The Vishv Umiya Foundation, headquartered in Ahmedabad, has also submitted a representation to the state government to fund training of 100 youths in Delhi every year.

Commencing with 50 boys and girls, the training centre will provide education and hostel facilities at nominal prices, the authorities said.

“Vishv Umiya Foundation has collaborated with the Modi Shaikshanik Sankul for this centre. While the infrastructure facilities of the Sankul will be used, we will offer the faculty, library and other academic services to the candidates,” Vishv Umiya Foundation president R P Patel told ,Vishv Umiya Foundation is also constructing the tallest temple of Goddess Umiya in Jaspur area of Ahmedabad, revered as ‘kuldevi’ by Kadva Patidars, one of the two major sub-castes of the community.

Besides the temple, the campus will also house centres of education, employment, health, sports and business development, apart from hostels.

The Modi Shaikshanik Sankul in Chharodi, near Jaspur, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2022. Barely 3 km from Vishv Umiya campus, is Sardhardham, another charitable trust-run organisation that provides training to Patidar youths to get into the UPSC, the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) and defence services. Eight out of 25 candidates from Gujarat who cleared UPSC this year were enrolled under different schemes of Sardardham in Ahmedabad.

Sardardham came up after a massive agitation by the community in 2015. Demands during the protest were upskilling of youth, and ensuring they crack state and central competitive examinations. The agitators had also demanded reservation in education sector and government jobs.

R P Patel said,“To maximise the Gujarati representation in the bureaucracy and other services, we have submitted a representation to the Chief Minister (Bhupendra Patel) requesting the state government to fund the training of 100 youths in Delhi,”.

“Already, 8-9 states are funding their youths… we can also follow the same. We have been assured by the state government that a decision regarding this will be made soon,” Patel added. The representation submitted to the CM in August this year has also highlighted the requirement to raise another facility in Delhi other than Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA) even as R P Patel stated that the “results are not as expected compared to the population of Gujarat”.

“Despite all measures taken by the state government, on an average only 10-20 candidates from Gujarat clear the UPSC exams. The situation is far better in other states,” the representation said. “States like Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh under the social welfare department fund 100 students’ coaching every year in Delhi for the UPSC and other central competition exams. Due to this a high number of students from these states clear the UPSC,” the representation states.