�State filled with capabilities that can deliver never-anticipated results�

GUWAHATI, Nov 30 - �Assam is filled with capabilities, which, if tapped in a sustainable and efficient manner, will deliver the never-anticipated outcomes. It is a sorry figure, when it comes to selection in civil services from the State. In 2014, there were only 13 students who cleared the civil services and allied services. To have a prosperous and developed state, a strong bureaucracy is one of the key criteria and civil servants play an important role� said Sankar Ray, director of the North East Institute of Advanced Studies (Northeast IAS) at a press conference held here today.

Ray said that Northeast IAS�s �Mission 100� to producing 100 civil servants is especially to bridge the gap and to provide a platform to the youths of Assam to join the civil services. As part of this commitment, the institute has produced 41 toppers in UPSC and APSC exams in 2018, he claimed.

Ray also announced that the institute is going to provide first-phase fellowship worth Rs 60,000 each to additional 100 candidates for UPSC CSE 2019-20. Similarly, 150 students will be provided fellowship worth Rs 30,000 each for APSC undergoing training at NE-IAS, in 2019. The benefits would also continue for the next four years.

As part of its outreach programme, Northeast IAS is also aiming to expand to the district level in collaboration with district administrations where talented students can be trained.

�According to the Annual Report of 2015 of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, there are more than 2,17,652 graduates from Assam. It is encouraging to see that professional training has been deemed extremely important in recent times to prepare our youth not only for cracking competitive examinations of different kinds, but also for inculcating in them professional and employable skills. However, there is still a lot to be done in this respect. What is true is that there is still a dearth of quality professional institutions in the north-eastern region� Ray added.