Zakat Foundation of India

O Lord ! Give me from Your Countenance a sustaining power
SIR SYED COACHING & GUIDANCE CENTRE FOR CIVIL SERVICES (SSCGC)
(A unit of Zakat Foundation of India)

General Terms for ZFI Fellowship

1. ZFI Fellowship

ZFI selects, accommodates and coaches a limited number of 'ZFI Fellows,' i.e. academically meritorious candidates with a serious interest in appearing for the highly competitive Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission of India (UPSC). For this purpose ZFI opens online application opportunity in January that closes on 20 April. Admit Cards are emailed to the candidates.


Test (and interview of shortlisted candidates) is held in Delhi, Srinagar, Malappuram, Kolkata, Lucknow, Bhopal, Vadodara and Aurangabad. Schedule & venues are as announced sufficiently in time.


2. How to Apply:

(a) Graduates aged 19-28 years (as on 01 Sept of the year in which the UPSC Prelim Exam is held for which the selection procedure is organized) are invited to apply online only.

(b) The upper age limit as mentioned above is taken as 30 years in respect of candidates belonging to the following categories: OBC/J&K Resident/ST or having earlier qualified the UPSC Civil Services Prelims/State PSC.

(c) No monetary allowance is admissible for appearing at the test and interview.


3. Selection Procedure:

Candidates have to appear (in English medium) for written test of 1 hr 15 minutes and interview as follows:

(A) Written: (i) General Studies & Aptitude Test (on the pattern of UPSC Civil Services Prelims Exam). (ii) Essay - 150 words

(B) Interview (of those candidates who succeed in the written test).

The finally selected candidates are required as follows:


4. Joining:

To report to ZFI office in New Delhi on a date notified to the selected candidates.


5. Depositing the Originals:

(a) To deposit all their original marksheets plus certificates and degrees with ZFI - from matriculation to post-graduation. These are returnable on or after July 31 of the year that falls two years after the year during which the selected ZFI Fellow joins ZFI.

(b) If, for any reason, a candidate needs that any or all of the degrees/certificates be returned to him/her earlier, then the entire amount incurred (including by way of subsidization) on his/her coaching & residence by ZFI has to be refunded by him/her to ZFI before any of the degrees/marksheets/certificates can be returned to him/her. Also, for this purpose, application has to be emailed sufficiently in advance to ZFI in prescribed form.


6. Boarding: In NCR, the ZFI Fellows have to compulsorily live in the accommodation (separately for boys and girls) of ZFI’s Sir Syed Coaching & Guidance Centre for Civil Services against prescribed fees.


7. Security Deposit:

In addition, at the time of registration, before joining, each candidate has to deposit the prescribed security deposit, returnable not earlier than July 31 of the year that falls two years after the year during which the selected ZFI Fellow joins SSCGC.


8. Affidavit:

Each ZFI Fellow has to file an affidavit with ZFI, as per prescribed contents.


9. ZFI-Partly Financed Coaching (PFC):

Taking into consideration the candidate's and his/her family's financial capacity, ZFI sponsors the fees (coaching & test series) upto the prescribed maximum extent of the net amount. The balance amount is deposited in advance (with the ZFI) by the ZFI Fellow. Same is applicable for Test Series too.


10. Self-financing Option (SFO):

Those bright candidates who do not make it to the ZFI’s merit list are also considered for admission by ZFI against payment of full yet subsidized Coaching Fee of Rs 1.5 lakh. This is in addition to the Hostel Charges and Security Deposit. All other requirements are same as for PFC candidates.


11. Mode of payment:

All the above mentioned amounts are payable in advance through bank draft favoring ZAKAT FOUNDATION OF INDIA payable at New Delhi.


12. ZFI's decision is final:

By applying for ZFI Fellowship the candidate is presumed to have accepted the conditions of ZFI Fellowship and is presumed to have solemnly affirmed that in all matters the decision of ZFI shall be final and binding on him/her.


13. Sanction against non-compliance:

In case a candidate, after his/her selection, ever refuses to comply with any of these requirements, his/ her security deposit may be forfeited in addition to any other fine/penalty leviable by ZFI none of which action shall be questioned in any administrative/legal/judicial proceeding.


14. Welcome on board:

The ZFI Fellows are taken under the guidance and supervision of Zakat Foundation of India in order to help them properly prepare for the Preliminary, Mains, and Interview for Personality Test for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. They are expected not to treat themselves as guests of ZFI. Instead, they would do their best to ensure that this short association turns into a life long asset for both as well as for the community.