2 minority students crack UPSC exams

[1]

Three years after starting government-aided coaching classes in the state, two Muslim youngsters have, for the first time, managed to crack the tough Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination this year. Shakil Mehmood Ansari (25) and Parvez Naikwadi (24) were felicitated by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan at the Vidhan Bhavan for their achievement.
The state minority affairs department added 10 more seats especially reserved for minority students in each of the four government-aided coaching classes in 2010-11. Seats were also added in Pune’s Yashada Institute that runs the same programme for cracking UPSC exams.
Three years after the initiative was started at the institute, Mr Naikwadi managed to crack the exam in his second attempt. Mr Naikwadi, who hails from Satara was studying at Yashada Institute and has secured 786th rank this year in the UPSC exams. Mr Ansari achieved the feat while studying at the coaching classes run by the Haj Committee of India that is aided by the Centre. Mr Ansari hails from Shahada, a tribal area of Nandurbar and has secured 507th rank in the exams.
Minority affairs minister Arif Naseem Khan said, “Implementing the Prime Minister’s 15-point programme, we have reserved additional seats in the government-run coaching classes. For the past three years, 50 candidates have availed this facility to crack the examination and get prestigious government jobs.”