Lucknow: A total of 5,513 candidates registered for the free IAS/PCS coaching scheme, administered by the department of social welfare till June 1, the state govt said on Tuesday.Of the total, 2,848 candidates finalised and locked their applications. Interested candidates may continue to apply until June 18, following which the entrance examination will be held on July 5.Sanjeev Singh, director, social welfare, stated that a total of 865 seats have been allocated for IAS/PCS coaching across the state. Of these, 25% of the seats are reserved for students who have already qualified for the preliminary examination through the ‘lateral entry’ route. This ensures that candidates who have successfully cleared the initial stage of the competitive examination — and are now preparing for the main examination — also receive superior guidance.The department of social welfare is making preparations to conduct both the selection process and the coaching classes with complete transparency. A key priority of the state govt is to ensure that financial constraints never stand in the way of any talented student’s dreams. With this very objective, free coaching, study materials and expert guidance are being provided.