In an effort to encourage students to join the Indian civil services and other central services, the Mizoram government on Tuesday decided to provide full sponsorship, including coaching expenses, to students, who aspire to become civil servants.

The meeting of top officials of various departments- education; labour employment, skill development and entrepreneurship, planning, finance and Mizoram Youth Commission (MYC) chaired by chief minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday decided to work with reputed coaching centres in Delhi to facilitate the civil service aspirants to take coaching classes.

The meeting, attended by state education minister Lalchhandama Ralte and MYC chairman Vanlaltanpuia, decided to provide a full scholarship to those promising students, who strongly aspire to become civil servants, to meet their expenses incurred while attending coaching classes in Delhi apart from providing cash incentives for clearing prelims and main exams.

The meeting also agreed to conduct entrance exam to select eligible candidates, set maximum seat limit and other important criteria at the earliest.

Zoramthanga told the meeting that the number of educated youths from Mizoram joining central service is gradually declining and massive efforts should be made in this regard.

He called for concerted efforts to motivate the students so that they compete with or surpass students in other states.

Zoramthanga said that his government would take all possible steps to assist the students.

The Mizoram government is making massive efforts to help students join civil services, central services, commercial banks and corporates through Mizo Youth Commission (MYC).

The MYC was set up by an Act of the Mizoram State Legislature in 2008. It has been given statutory responsibility for promotion, exploration and embracement of youth welfare. The commission concentrated its activity in providing coaching and guidance for All India Services and State Services.

The commission used to give cash incentive awards ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh to students who clear various exams (prelim & main), including UPSC, SSC, NDA and state services.

The commission is also currently making efforts to provide suitable jobs to youths, who returned to the state on losing their jobs in other states due to COVID-19.

Despite massive efforts, Mizoram has not produced any IAS officer since 2015.

The last person from the state to crack the UPSC exams and become an IAS officer was Grace Lalrindiki Pachuau, a Tamil Nadu cadre, who is the daughter of former state chief secretary Vanhela Pachuau. She cleared in 2014.

Only five from Mizoram have cleared the UPSC exams since 2000.