Guwahati, July 18: Charitable trust Ajmal Foundation will train eight aspirants from different parts of Assam for the civil services examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.

The foundation will bear the expenditure of the students' coaching in a New Delhi-based institute, GS Mentors, and their lodging. The foundation has earmarked Rs 30 lakh for the project.

The board of trustees of the Ajmal Foundation is headed by businessman-turned-politician Badruddin Ajmal who is now the chief of the All India United Democratic Front and representative of the Dhubri Lok Sabha constituency.

The foundation launched the scheme - Ajmal Free IAS Coaching Programme - last year. It had sent 10 IAS aspirants for year-long coaching in New Delhi in its first batch. The 10 aspirants have appeared for the preliminary examination of the civil services examination this year.

"We believe education is the most essential thing for a person. That is why we have been working to promote education among the disadvantaged sections of society. Also, over the year we have observed that only a few candidates from Assam clear the civil services examination. We launched this scheme so that Assam can produce more civil servants," Ajmal said.

Ajmal said the number of IAS aspirants, especially women, who appeared for the screening test for the free coaching was below expectation. None of the eight IAS aspirants who have been selected for the free coaching are girls. "We want more students to sit for the screening test so that we can send more of them for coaching," Ajmal said.

This year, 108 students appeared for the screening test held in eight centres across the state on May 21. The number of students who appeared for the screening test last year was 127.

The coaching is for aspirants from the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and the minority community.