SCM giving wings to dreams of exam aspirants in Madurai

MADURAI: Waking up at the crack of dawn, 26-year-old Uday Kiran from Madurai travels 20 km to a park near Tamukkam Road for an intense cramming session with the sole aim of clearing the coveted Tamil Nadu Civil Services Exam.

Kiran is one of the around 150 youngsters who converge at the three-acre park — a hub for competitive exam aspirants — almost every day for it offers a “conducive environment” for group study, even if that entails sitting under the shade of a tree in hot and muggy weather.

Change is in the offing, however, courtesy of the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) under which a library and knowledge centre with modern facilities, including tablets, is being set up on Tamukkam Road for Rs 2.5 crore.

“We have set up this modern library at Madurai’s Tamukkam Road, which will facilitate youths to access to digital study material and as well as several books,” Ruban Suresh, Chief Engineer of Madurai Municipal Corporation, said. “Under the Smart Cities Mission, students can utilise the facilities, including tablets, to prepare for competitive exams,” he added.

Kiran said while park does offer a conducive learning environment, a modern library will prove to be much more beneficial. “Several students come here every day to study. So, setting up a modern library is a good step,” Kiran said.

Twenty-year-old Priyanka, also a TN Civil Services aspirant, said “With the construction of a library and knowledge centre, it will help students to prepare better.” According to an official of the Madurai City Corporation, the ground floor of the modern library measures 489.12 sqm while the first floor is 239.82 sqm.

Similar libraries will come up in other parts of the city to contribute positively to the educational pursuits of students, he said.

Narendra Modi-led government launched its flagship Smart Cities Mission (SCM) on June 25, 2015, and 100 cities were selected for redevelopment through a two-stage competition from January 2016 to June 2018.

Madurai was selected in 2017 by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. Another official of the municipal corporation said under the SCM, infrastructure in Madurai city is being improved on a huge scale.

Sharing the details of some other projects, he said a multi-level car parking has been constructed near the famous Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple for Rs 41.43 crore. A riverfront of Vaigai from Raja Mill road to Kuruvikaran Salai has also been developed, he said.