MUMBAI: After a closure for one year, the Haj Committee of India reopened its free residential coaching centre for UPSC aspirants at the Haj House here. The residential coaching centre was closed in December 2023.Recently, the Haj Panel issued a notice inviting applications for admission to the free residential coaching centre for Civil Services exams, both preliminary and main (2026), for 100 seats.For the first time, the coaching programme, being funded entirely by the money of Hajis kept as a corpus with the Haj Committee, is allocating 20% of seats to candidates of other minorities, SCs, STs, and OBCs. The notice issued by Haj Committee CEO Shanvas C recently stated that candidates will be selected after a written examination and personal interview. June 21 is the last day for submission of applications, while the entrance exam is scheduled for July 13, with essay writing and personal interviews on July 24 and 25. The admission process will be completed on July 31, while classes will commence on August 11.Started in 2009, the coaching centre’s closure had drawn flak from community leaders. Subsequently, many, including Congress MLA Amin Patel and Congress functionary Mudassar Patel approached Congress Rajya Sabha Member Imran Pratapgadhi, who raised the issue in Parliament. Mudassar Patel,said that he personally met both Pratapgadhi and former CEO of Haj Committee and requested them to restart the centre. “On my request, Imran Pratapgadhi raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha. The matter reached Mr Rijiju and he approved reopening of the coaching centre which is going to help underprivileged candidates,” said Mudassar Patel.Amin Patel too welcomed the move. “We are grateful to Imran Pratapgadhi too for raising the issue, which convinced minority affairs minister Kiran Rijiju to allow the Haj Committee to restart the coaching centre,” said Patel.Former CEO of Haj Committee Md Owais, who was instrumental in starting the coaching centre in 2009, said: “Many candidates from underprivileged backgrounds who cannot afford expensive coaching at private institutes benefited. This is great news that the Haj Committee has restarted this centre, which will benefit the poor candidates.”