Financial Support

1. Introduction

1. Scheme of Remedial Coaching at Undergraduate and Postgraduate Level for (i) Schelduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Students and (ii) Students belonging to Minority Communities.
   
   The UGC has been contributing towards social equality and socio-economic mobility of the under-privileged sections of the society through various special schemes. In 1984, the University Grants Commission formulated a scheme of coaching classes for competitive examinations for weaker sections amongst educationally backward minority communities. The guidelines for the scheme were revised in 1988 with a view to increase the programmes’s effectiveness. Coaching for competitive examinations could not gain the desired success because the students come from a strata where opportunities for quality education are so limited that weakness in academic performance are inevitable. These have to be removed by remedial education, which would help them to do well in studies. The UGC thus introduced the component of remedial coaching at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level for educationally backward students of Minority Communities. The UGC also introduced the Remedial Coaching Scheme for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes students w.e.f. 1994. The Remedial Coaching scheme aims at improving the academic skills and linguistic proficiency of the students in the various subjects and raising their level of comprehension in such subjects where quantitative, technical and laboratory work is involved and to reduce their failure and drop out rate.
   
   This scheme continued during IX Plan period and the same will continue during X Plan period with suitable modifications.

2. Coaching Scheme for Entry in Services for Students Belonging to (i) Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe and (ii) Minority Communities
   
   During X Plan period the scheme of coaching classes for entry in services for SC/ST students and educationally backward students belonging to Minority Communities shall be implemented through selected Universities and Colleges to gain useful employment in Group A, B & C including All India Services and State Provincial Services.

1. Scheme of Remedial Coaching at Undergraduate and Postgraduate Level for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Students and Students Belonging to Minority Communities
   
   Remedial Coaching is to be organized at Undergraduate / Postgraduate level with a view to –

   1. Improve the academic skills and linguistic proficiency of the students in various subjects.

   2. To raise their level of comprehension of basic subjects to provide a stronger foundation for further academic work

   3. To strengthen their knowledge, skills and attitudes in such subjects, where quantitative and qualitative techniques and laboratory activities are involved , so that, the necessary guidance and training provided under the programme may enable the student to come up to the level necessary for pursuing higher studies efficiently.

2. Coaching Scheme for Entry in Services for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Students and Minority Community Students
   
   The basic objective of this coaching scheme is to prepare students belonging to SC/ST and educationally backward Minorities for competitive examinations which in turn will help them in getting gainful employment for group ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘A’ – All India Services and State/Provincial services.

1. Scheme of Remedial Coaching at Undergraduate and Postgraduate Level for Students beloning to (i) Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe and (ii) Minority Communities

   1. Grouping of students- The students may be divided into various groups, each consisting of not more than 25 students in each subject, and each group may be placed under the charge of one teacher so that the responsibility could be fixed and the teachers are in a position to develop rapport with the assigned group and monitor the progress of the students. Each institution is expected to cover a minimum of 100 students per year. The assistance should be continued from one year to the next after the first year results are declared and the poorly performing students are further identified . The same could be repeated in the following years.
      
      The selection of students should be done, by a preliminary test of the catering students in the first month after admission.

   2. Deployment of teachers- The Universities and Colleges may engage the services of motivated in-service and retired teachers who volunteer themselves for this purpose in the concerned subjects. Wherever possible, the services of Research Scholars or brilliant postgraduate students could also be utilised for this purpose.

   3. Co-ordinator- One of the senior faculty members may be appointed as Coordinator of the Remedial Coaching Programme under each scheme, who will be responsible for maintaining coordination between different groups/ teachers, to ensure effective implementation of the coaching programme, in addition to actual teaching in the classes.

   4. Classes and Method of Instructions

      1. Besides tests for admission and identification of poor performance at the end of each year, the college/ university, may convene a meeting of the SC/ST or Minority Community students after reopening and information about remedial Coaching be given. In addition, a circular should be exhibited on the notice board inviting applications for remedial coaching.

      2. Remedial Coaching may be organized on working days, after the regular teaching hours of the University/College are over, or before the commencement of classes, whichever is convenient to the students requiring help to come up to the standards of the classes they are attending . Remedial Coaching Classes also could be organized during the long vacations, like summer vacation or winter vacations for those students who are genuinely in need of such intensive coaching. The time table of remedial classes should be announced in the beginning of the year.

      3. The method of instruction should be through class work, tutorials, work assignments and practical, followed by discussions and face to face interactions.

      4. At least 50 hours of teaching should be undertaken in an academic year for each subject or paper of 100 marks and 50 hours in case of the subject involving practicals. After every 10 hours of teaching an examination should be organized.

   5. Attendance- The University/ college will be required to maintain attendance registers for all selected students. Subject-wise results of tests or other evaluations, may also be maintained. Special attendance register for teachers should be maintained and payment made to the teacher on the basis of actual teaching. This record should be available for scrutiny as and when called for. The students, who do not attend classes regularly should be disallowed as self –discipline and motivation are required for engagement in coaching classes. On the other hand, if coaching classes are not well handled, lack of involvement of students will be apparent. Hence, periodic evaluation of teachers should be done by the students as a feedback to improve their teaching methods.

   6. The University/ college will provide basic minimum infrastructural facilities such as furniture, library, laboratory facilities, and other necessary required facilities from its own resources for conducting Remedial Coaching for SC/ST or Minority Community students.

2. Coaching Scheme For Entry in Services For (i) Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Students and (ii) Minority Community Students

1. The Coaching Scheme will be operated at two levels :

   1. Coaching for group B&C level posts
      
      The coordinators should be highly motivated, Professors or retired senior teachers familiar with the competitive or professional examination system and with sufficient experience of organizing and conducting coaching classes for competitive examinations. If a serving professor is appointed, his/her teaching responsibility should be reduced commensurate with his/her additional responsibility. The selected universities/colleges would organize appropriate coaching classes to prepare persons belonging to SC/ST or educationally backward minority communities to enable them to compete in various competitive examinations for (a) recruitment to services under Central and State Governments, Public and Private Undertaking, banks etc. and (b) acquiring proficiency in typing, shorthand and secretarial courses including computer based programmes.

   2. Coaching for All-India Services and State Provincial Services
      
      Selection process for All India Services and State Provincial Services is highly competitive and therefore, special preparation is required. Competent resource persons should be identified for the purpose. Experts from professional institutions should be invited as Guest Lecturers by which greater proficiency can be acquired by the students in the SC/ST or Minority Coaching Centre. Each selected Institution shall enroll not less than 20 candidates for coaching for Central Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. The Minority Coaching Centre will publicize the coaching facilities, venue and dates for applying and selection.
      
      The Expert Committee / Standing Committee will recommend the programmes to be conducted by the SC/ST or Minority Coaching Centre on the basis of discussions and availability of resources at the Centre.
      
      The selection of candidates should be according to existing standards so that the energies of the faculty are not spread thinly over those candidates who stand no chance. The Coaching shall be based primarily on the group discussions method combined with correction of written work.

2. Co-ordinator
   
   One of the senior faculty member may be appointed as Co-ordinator of the each of the Coaching Programme(s). He/She will be responsible for maintaining coordination between different groups/teachers to ensure effective implementation of the coaching programme in addition to actual teaching in the classes. Since the work of the Coaching Center is a highly challenging job, the UGC will conduct orientation programmes for sensitization and training of Coordinator so that a professional approach is introduced in the coaching of students. It is essential that the scheme be regularly monitored and evaluated.

3. Attendance
   
   The University/ college will be required to maintain attendance registers for all selected students. Subject-wise results of tests or other evaluations, may also be maintained. Special attendance register for teachers should be maintained and payment made to the teacher on the basis of actual teaching. This record should be available for scrutiny as and when called for. The students, who do not attend classes regularly should be disallowed as self –discipline and motivation are required for engagement in coaching classes. On the other hand, if coaching classes are not well handled, lack of involvement of students will be apparent. Hence, periodic evaluation of teachers should be done by the students as a feedback to improve their teaching methods.

4. Intake and Admission for the Coaching Courses
   
   The intake for each course will be decided by the University/College according to its local situation under the direction of the Advisory Committee. The scheme for coaching classes shall be open to students belonging to SC/ST or minority communities studying in the Institution as well as for students residing in the surrounding neighbourhood areas. The notification for admission for coaching classes may be based on the guidelines given by the Advisory Committee. The coaching centre may organize the admission test for enrolling the students.