NEW DELHI: For students preparing for NEET and JEE, intensive coaching often begins long before they enter the examination hall. But access to such coaching can depend heavily on a student’s location and family income. Seeking to bridge this gap, the Centre is working on a free coaching network, with NEET and JEE likely to be the first examinations covered.
The programme will initially focus on students from economically weaker families and those living in areas with limited access to quality coaching.
Government sources said youth-focused initiatives announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address have been accorded priority, with some programmes likely to be launched as early as October 2. Ministries have already begun working on the implementation framework for the free coaching initiative.
A blueprint has been prepared for a technology- and AI-enabled learning platform that will be jointly developed by the ministries of electronics and information technology, skill development and education. MeitY and the skill development ministry will develop the platform, while the education ministry will provide academic support by bringing together teaching resources from schools, universities and other institutions.
Officials said the initiative will not be limited to online classes. In later phases, it could include offline and computer-based learning facilities in areas where internet connectivity is poor.
The network is eventually expected to expand to university entrance and recruitment examinations as well.
The initiative aims to narrow the gap between students who can afford private coaching and those who rely on schools, self-study or local coaching centres.
In his Independence Day address, Modi highlighted the financial burden of private coaching on families and the growing pressure on parents to enrol their children in coaching classes.
“A huge burden has been placed upon middle-class families. There is competition around coaching classes,” Modi said, noting that many parents feel that not sending their children to coaching institutes reflects negatively on the family.
