Free coaching scheme enrols only 2,790 against 10,500 target, parliamentary panel says

New Delhi: The central government's scheme to provide free coaching to economically disadvantaged students preparing for competitive examinations has significantly underperformed, a parliamentary standing committee has noted. According to a report tabled in Parliament on August 10, only 2,790 students were enrolled against a cumulative target of 10,500 over the past three years — just 26 per cent of the goal.

The Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, in its report, said the Ministry of Social Justice had fixed an annual target of 3,500 students for free coaching, but this was not achieved in any of the three years under review. The scheme is meant for students from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and beneficiaries of the PM CARES for Children Scheme.

Year-wise data presented in the report shows that 223 students received free coaching in 2023-24, 2,136 students in 2024-25, and only 431 students in 2025-26. The committee also noted poor utilisation of allocated funds. In 2023-24, the budget estimate was ₹47 crore, but actual expenditure stood at ₹7.76 crore. The budget was reduced to ₹35 crore in 2024-25, with actual spending of ₹17.68 crore. For 2025-26, the budget was further cut to ₹20 crore, and the ministry reported actual expenditure of ₹9.86 crore, though the committee recorded ₹7.11 crore.

The scheme covers free coaching for a wide range of competitive examinations, including the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment, State Public Service Commissions, banking and PSU officer-grade exams, as well as entrance tests such as IIT-JEE, NEET, CAT, CLAT, and exams like SAT, GRE, TOEFL, NDA and CDS.

One of the major hurdles identified by the committee is the eligibility criterion that sets an annual family income ceiling of ₹8 lakh. The panel had previously recommended that this ceiling be re-examined to widen the pool of eligible candidates, but the Ministry of Social Justice has not given a positive response. The committee observed that SC and OBC children should be treated at par with PM CARES beneficiaries, who face no income ceiling because they lost parents or guardians to COVID-19. The report said these children have suffered not only economically but also socially for generations.

The Ministry has proposed a target of 7,000 candidates for 2026-27, double the previous annual goal. The committee questioned this decision, stating that it did not understand the rationale for increasing the target when earlier targets had not been achieved.

The report comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, announced a plan to provide free online coaching to all students, following student protests against the NEET-UG paper leak. The detailed roadmap for this new initiative has not yet been made public.

The parliamentary panel has urged the Ministry to address the gaps in implementation, including better budget utilisation and a realistic approach to targets, to ensure that the intended beneficiaries actually receive the coaching support they need.