Police service aspirants from the minority community would be trained to clear the physical test and the interview for the constables’ post free of cost.

Bihar minority welfare minister Shahid Ali Khan on Tuesday launched a special programme to impart training to the 1,300 minority community applicants who have cleared the written test for the recruitment of constables in the state police force.

The course was launched by the minority welfare department in collaboration with Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University, Patna. The written examination was conducted for the 7,606 posts of constables in December 2012 and the results were declared in March.

Khan said: “Training would be imparted to the candidates in different batches. At present, 326 candidates have been enrolled for the training at Haj Bhavan in Patna. Professional trainers of the police department have been assigned for the 30-45-day training. This will help the candidates to clear the physical test and interview so that they get selected in the final round.”

Home department principal secretary Amir Subhani, who also holds additional charge of the minority welfare department, said the government has approved the proposal of recruiting 28,000 constables in the next five years. Every year around 5,500 posts of constables would be filled up, he added. Around 1,200 new posts of sub-inspectors have also been created, which are expected to be filled up in the next five years.

Subhani feels that the number of candidates from the minority community in the central security forces and the Indian Army was negligible. He said: “Those who did not get selected in the Bihar Police Recruitment Examination 2012, need not to be disappointed. They could get ample opportunities to clear the tests for the selection in the central police forces and the Indian Army.” The large number of candidates who gathered at the launch of the programme received a piece of advice from Subhani. “Grab every possible opportunity available in the state police force or the central police organisations,” he said.

He added that 150 out of the 300 candidates coached for the previous constable recruitment test were selected.