'One school, One IAS' prog to demolish notion that civil services only for elite

An institutehelmed by top academics and retired IAS and IPS officers in Kerala is organising an ambitious programme called'OneSchool One IAS, seeking to "demolish the general notion that civil services are for the elite class alone." Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan will this weekend inaugurate the scheme, beingrolled out under the Vedhik Erudite Foundations Scholarship Programme, the foundation said in a release here on Wednesday.

It said the programme provides free training to economically backward, but academically bright aspirants of civil services and other competitive exams. The scheme, supported by sponsors, envisages enrollment of 10,000 boys and girls across Kerala. The beneficiaries will be selected by a panel headed by the heads of respective educational institutions, it said. The Governor will, through video conferencing, declare the programme open at the function here on January 16.

Present at the ceremony in Grand Hyatt Hotel will be state Education Minister Prof C Raveendranath, Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, former Chief Secretary and UN Consultant Dr C V Ananda Bose, IAS, film actress Manju Warrier and officials of the Vedhik IAS Academy.

Actress Manju Warrier will sponsor 10 studious, but financially weak girl students from different districts. The initiative envisages equipping students with not just preparing for the civil services, but other competitive exams as well, it added.

The trainers comprise Kerala former Additional Chief Secretary Mr O P Minocha, Retd Col D S Cheema, CMAI Association of India President Prof N K Goyal, senior IAS officer Vivek Atre and Santhosh George Kulangara, also a well-known globetrotter. The Kochi-headquartered institution has an office in Delhi.