Acting beyond the call of duty

SDPO Tuesang Dr. Pritpal Kaur, EACs Kevithito Rose and Moasunep K. Jingrü with civil service aspirants in Tuensang.  (Morung Photo)

SDPO Tuesang Dr. Pritpal Kaur, EACs Kevithito Rose and Moasunep K. Jingrü with civil service aspirants in Tuensang. (Morung Photo)

Morung Express News
Kohima | June 1

For the last 15 days, the SP Durbar Hall, Tuensang has been a busy classroom for young civil service aspirants availing free coaching class every evening from 5 pm to 8 pm. The free coaching class for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) & Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) is a telling initiative started by Dr. Pritpal Kaur, SDPO Tuensang and assisted by Kevithito Rose, NCS and Moasunep K. Jingrü, NCS. 

Hailing from Haryana, 33 years old Dr. Kaur felt she needed to do something for the district which has been close to her heart. Tuensang being her first posting after completion of her training, Dr. Kaur says, "I've grown attached to this place. The people here have been so good to me."

Posted in Tuensang for almost four months now, the IPS officer visited schools in the district where she discovered a high rate of dropouts. "When I started visiting the schools, I noticed the high rate of dropouts. Why are we having dropouts? That was my biggest question," says Dr. Kaur. 

With lesser chances of employment, dropouts will resort to social evils, viewed Dr. Kaur, who also noticed that officers from this region were quite few. 

Besides the free classes, Dr. Kaur has been providing books and materials bought from her own salary, sometimes personally travelling to Dimapur to purchase the books. Dr. Kaur also expressed her appreciation to the SP Tuensang who has been supportive of the initiative and financially helped the class. 

"We just thought it will be good to blend with the young minds. Because we come from  this background, and by God's providence we have been able to crack the civil services, we are passing down what we have learned over the years," says 29 years old Kevithito Rose, EAC Tuensang who was encouraged by the seriousness and sincerity of the aspirants who came on their own volition. 

"I always wanted to mentor leaders and this was an opening door, and I see them as leaders of now and not tomorrow," says 28 years old Moasunep K. Jingrü, EAC Tuensang. 

While the class provides coaching on UPSC, NPSC, and other Departmental exams, Kevithito views that the aspiring students need to be taught beyond the books. "We are teaching more than what is beyond the book. We tell them of perseverance and of dedication. I wanted them to inculcate these qualities; to make them better human beings," says Rose. 

Voicing similar sentiments, Dr. Kaur states, "We wanted to teach them that there is more beyond this world and one needs to keep learning." For Jingrü who previously worked as as a faculty in two different coaching institutes, the teaching experience is similar, however he mentions, "The only parallel is that I make a point to take time to tell them that the whole point is they succeed and become better officers with moral responsibilities."

Taking 3-4 hours of classes after work has been a strenuous affair; however, Dr. Kaur hopes to continue the free classes as long as she is posted in the district. 

With all three mentors holding responsible positions with the daily business of field and paper works, Jingrü asserts that the initiative demands commitment. The classes are slated for 3 hours, however many a times the mentors end up teaching even up to five hours, sometimes reaching home only at 10 in the night. Additional classes are also provided for those who have cleared their prelims. 

Yet at the end of the day, Jingrü mentions how they go back home "with reassuring thoughts that we are investing into people’s life and a deep satisfaction fuels us for the next day.”

The coaching class, which began with nine students, has now 39 aspirants with new students turning up every single day.  Dr. Kaur welcomes more aspirants to the class while expressing hope that the aspirants would be able to get through the upcoming exams this year.