Hyderabad: The Telangana government increased BC Study Circle stipends for unemployed youth preparing for competitive examinations across the state. BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar announced higher monthly payments and book allowances for eligible coaching candidates.
Under the revised assistance, UPSC Civil Services aspirants will receive Rs 7,000 per month instead of Rs 5,000. Additionally, the government doubled their annual book allowance from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
Meanwhile, candidates attending foundation courses for other competitive examinations will receive Rs 1,500 per month, up from Rs 1,000. The revised stipend for these courses took effect in November.
Prabhakar said the increases aimed to reduce financial difficulties for candidates from backward and economically weaker sections seeking government employment.
BC Study Circle stipends increased for UPSC and Group exam coaching
The government revised financial assistance for candidates undergoing free UPSC Civil Services coaching at BC Study Circles. The monthly stipend increased by Rs 2,000, from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000. Similarly, the annual book allowance rose by Rs 5,000, reaching Rs 10,000.
For candidates attending foundation courses, the government increased monthly financial support by Rs 500. These courses cover Group I, II, III and IV examinations, banking recruitment, railway recruitment and Staff Selection Commission examinations.
The revised foundation-course stipend of Rs 1,500 per month came into effect in November. Prabhakar said the enhanced assistance would support unemployed candidates preparing for competitive examinations through government-funded coaching programmes.
Twelve BC Study Circles provide free coaching across Telangana
According to the minister, 12 BC Study Circles were functioning across Telangana. These centres provide free competitive examination coaching to eligible candidates, with admissions based on merit.
Additionally, the government introduced a new opportunity for former UPSC coaching students seeking further preparation. Under the initiative, candidates who attended UPSC coaching at BC Study Circles during the previous two years became eligible for readmission.
However, returning candidates must qualify through a screening examination conducted along the lines of the UPSC examination. Selected former students will receive coaching, mentorship and stipends equivalent to those offered to newly admitted candidates.
The initiative allows eligible former students to continue their Civil Services preparation with institutional and financial assistance. Prabhakar said the government had appointed an expert committee to recommend improvements in the functioning of BC Study Circles.
The committee proposed several measures, including enhanced financial assistance for competitive examination aspirants. Following its recommendations, the government immediately implemented the suggested improvements, the minister said.
The revised BC Study Circle stipends formed part of the measures intended to strengthen coaching support for unemployed youth. The minister also highlighted educational materials displayed throughout the Hyderabad BC Study Circle.
These included paintings, charts, graphs and maps installed along walls and staircases to reinforce classroom learning. The displays covered history, geography, the Constitution, economics, science and technology.
According to Prabhakar, the materials aimed to help students strengthen their subject knowledge through regular visual exposure. He also referred to the facilities and financial assistance available to candidates through the government’s coaching centres.
The minister urged unemployed youth to use these opportunities while preparing for competitive examinations and pursuing their career goals.