Haj panel to restart UPSC coaching centre, 20% seats for other minorities

Indian Express

28-05-2025

Over a year after shutting down its residential coaching facility for Muslim Civil Services aspirants, the Haj Committee of India (HCI) has announced the reopening of its Mumbai-based training centre. The revamped programme will now reserve 20% of its seats for candidates from other minority communities, Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
While non-Muslim candidates were informally provided accommodation support during the exam period earlier, this is the first time that the HCI has officially included seats for other minorities in its selection process.
'This decision was taken by the committee last year to make the institute more inclusive. It is also expected to encourage a competitive atmosphere and healthy learning environment for Civil Services aspirants,' said HCI CEO Shanavas C.
An official notification was issued on May 22, inviting applications for the upcoming batch aimed at preparing aspirants for the 2026 Civil Services Examination. An entrance test will be held on July 13, simultaneously across 21 centres in India. This will be followed by an essay-writing round and personal interviews to select 100 candidates. The coaching programme will commence from August 11.
The notification specified that 80 seats would be reserved for Muslim candidates, while the remaining 20 seats would be allocated to other minority groups, SCs, STs and OBCs.
Funded by donations that the HCI receives from people going for Haj, the Haj House Residential Coaching Institute — the only one of its kind run by the HCI — was established in 2009 to provide affordable residential coaching to Muslim students. Since then, sources said, about 1,500 students have undergone coaching, with 25 getting selected for the Civil Services.
Following a cut in student intake that led to protests in 2022, and an admissions cycle delayed by the pandemic, the institute was closed in December 2023. The HCI had said it was a temporary suspension, and assured that it would restart soon.
Several meetings were held in preparation for the new academic cycle, said sources. 'The (minority affairs) ministry has expressed its support. In fact, we are considering starting similar centres in other states where the necessary infrastructure is ready,' said Shanavas C.
While accommodation and coaching will be provided free of cost, food will be subsidised. 'We are currently working on formalising a policy for food-related expenses,' said Deputy CEO Sadafat Ali.
The age limit for applicants has been capped at 30 years, although the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) allows age relaxation up to 35 years for OBCs and 37 years for SCs and STs. The HCI said the age limit has been set to support younger aspirants.