Aspirants pack into minority coaching centres in Malappuram

Malappuram: The coaching centres of the minority welfare department have proved a huge hit in Malappuram. All eight centres in the district have witnessed a rush for admissions to new batches starting next month. Officials at the Ponnani, Vengara and Perinthalmanna nodal centres said applications were flooding, but seats are limited.

The Perinthalmanna centre which has 50 seats each for regular and holiday batches received 248 and 350 applications respectively this month. “The centre has a track record of creating rank holders in PSC and Railway Board exams with 27 students already entering the government service at various departments and around 150 on the main lists of recruiters,” says Dr A. Saidh, its principal.

“There were only a few takers for these coaching centres when launched in 2013. Now they enrol enthusiastically,” added K. Abdul Razak, principal of the Ponnani centre which has received more than 400 applications for 100 seats. Besides the three nodal centres in the district five sub-centres also functions in Edavanna, Karuvarakundu, Pookattiri and two in Malappuram.  The admissions are based on a screening test. One of the Malappuram centres had received 220 applications for 80 seats.

“The results from these centres have attracted more candidates from minorities over the years,” says Abdul Wahab, coordinator the sub-centre at Ma'din Academy in Malappuram. The centres which cater to Muslim, Christian and other minority communities provide free coaching classes for the competitive examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, Kerala Public Service Commission, Banking Service Recruitment Boards and other agencies. The government reserved 20 percent of the seats for the SC and ST communities through an order six months ago.