<p class="rtejustify">The mushrooming civil service coaching centres are turning the Vijayanagar-Hampi Nagar-Chandra Layout circuit into city’s Rajendra Nagar, the iconic area in Delhi that has become a temple for IAS aspirants.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">Not just civil service, the prime locations in the three adjacent areas have turned into a hub of training centres for several competitive exams.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">Enter West Of Chord Road from Mysore Road and huge boards try to grab eyeballs with photos of successful candidates and their ranks/score. The scene is similar at Chandra Layout and Hampi Nagar.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">“Vijayanagar is affordable compared to other prime areas in Bengaluru. Most of these coaching centres started small in early 2000. The area welcomes many students from North Karnataka and other coastal parts. Be it connectivity, cost of living or student-friendly atmosphere, the area has all the facilities minus distractions like pubs,” said Upendra Shetty, founder of Universal Coaching Centre.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">Today, there are at least 25 institutes in the area offering both classroom and e-learning along with personality building and mock interview tests. Most of the institutes fly in teaching faculty from New Delhi — from aspirants who made two or three attempts to those who cleared prelims, mains and are awaiting interviews.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">Guru Raghavendra Rajkumar, director of Dr Rajkumar Coaching Centre, said, “Our intention is to give quality education that Delhi institutes are offering. This has resulted in a drop in student enrollments at institutes in the national capital. We are confident one day Bengaluru will over take Delhi and Hyderabad to become a hub of competitive exam training centres.”</p>.<p class="rtejustify">The demand is also bringing more such centres from other cities to the locality. Chennai-based Shankar, Hyderabad-based Law Excellence and New Delhi-based Shubra Ranjan Academies are a few who will start classes soon.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">The centres have spawned a thriving service sector comprising hotels, business establishments and paying guest accommodations in the surrounding areas. One can find a pan India food culture in the locality to cater to students from different parts of the country.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">“There are students who pay on a monthly basis. Many feel this place is a home away from home. We specialise in North Karnataka food. There are eateries of other places, too, coming up,” said Neeraj Patil, who runs a ‘khanawali’ (hotel) in Chandra Layout.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">The mushrooming civil service coaching centres are turning the Vijayanagar-Hampi Nagar-Chandra Layout circuit into city’s Rajendra Nagar, the iconic area in Delhi that has become a temple for IAS aspirants.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">Not just civil service, the prime locations in the three adjacent areas have turned into a hub of training centres for several competitive exams.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">Enter West Of Chord Road from Mysore Road and huge boards try to grab eyeballs with photos of successful candidates and their ranks/score. The scene is similar at Chandra Layout and Hampi Nagar.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">“Vijayanagar is affordable compared to other prime areas in Bengaluru. Most of these coaching centres started small in early 2000. The area welcomes many students from North Karnataka and other coastal parts. Be it connectivity, cost of living or student-friendly atmosphere, the area has all the facilities minus distractions like pubs,” said Upendra Shetty, founder of Universal Coaching Centre.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">Today, there are at least 25 institutes in the area offering both classroom and e-learning along with personality building and mock interview tests. Most of the institutes fly in teaching faculty from New Delhi — from aspirants who made two or three attempts to those who cleared prelims, mains and are awaiting interviews.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">Guru Raghavendra Rajkumar, director of Dr Rajkumar Coaching Centre, said, “Our intention is to give quality education that Delhi institutes are offering. This has resulted in a drop in student enrollments at institutes in the national capital. We are confident one day Bengaluru will over take Delhi and Hyderabad to become a hub of competitive exam training centres.”</p>.<p class="rtejustify">The demand is also bringing more such centres from other cities to the locality. Chennai-based Shankar, Hyderabad-based Law Excellence and New Delhi-based Shubra Ranjan Academies are a few who will start classes soon.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">The centres have spawned a thriving service sector comprising hotels, business establishments and paying guest accommodations in the surrounding areas. One can find a pan India food culture in the locality to cater to students from different parts of the country.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">“There are students who pay on a monthly basis. Many feel this place is a home away from home. We specialise in North Karnataka food. There are eateries of other places, too, coming up,” said Neeraj Patil, who runs a ‘khanawali’ (hotel) in Chandra Layout.</p>