![Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressing the function to felicitate successful IAS/Civil Services aspirants who were supported by the “NAI UDAAN ‘’ scheme of Ministry of Minority Affairs, at New Delhi on Tuesday. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressing the function to felicitate successful IAS/Civil Services aspirants who were supported by the “NAI UDAAN ‘’ scheme of Ministry of Minority Affairs, at New Delhi on Tuesday.](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/page5-1-14.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 18 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also In-Charge DoPT, has lauded the “NAI UDAAN” scheme for IAS/Civil Services aspirants from notified minority communities.
The scheme started by the Modi Government through the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs offers financial support to Civil Services aspirants clearing the preliminary examination.
While addressing the function organised to felicitate successful IAS/Civil Service candidates from minority communities whose results were declared recently, Dr Jitendra Singh complimented the Minister for Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi for not only giving impetus to the new scheme “NAI UDAAN” but also for deciding the eligibility of the candidates for financial support on the basis of a transparent process through an exam for which candidates can apply online. He also appreciated Naqvi’s decision to enhance the family income limit for availing the benefit of the scheme from Rs. 6 Lakh to Rs. 8 Lakh per annum during 2019.
As DoPT Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh said, over the years the profile of IAS/Civil Services has undergone a demographic change. Now the successful candidates are coming from virtually all sections of the society, every region of the country and from different socio-economic strata, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes keen interest in the training curriculum IAS/CS officers, said Dr Jitendra Singh and added that over the last few years, several path-breaking reforms were brought in with the personal intervention of Prime Minister Modi. One such major reform was the introduction of a three month stint as Assistant Secretary for every new IAS officer before he or she took up the first assignment in the respective State/Union Territory Cadre.
Dr Jitendra Singh also referred to the valedictory function of the last batch of IAS Probationers which was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kevadia, Gujarat at the site of the statue of Sardar Patel who is known as one of the architects of the Indian Administrative Service. He also referred to visits undertaken by Prime Minister Modi to Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie and his regular interactions with every new batch of IAS passouts.