Free coaching scheme for SC, OBC aspirants sparks online debate over exclusions

A government partnership offering free online coaching for select competitive exam aspirants has triggered an online debate over eligibility criteria after details were shared in Parliament earlier this week.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Feb 3, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has been running multiple initiatives to improve access to quality education and promote equal opportunity for students from Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, and other disadvantaged groups nationwide.

As part of these efforts, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Physics Wallah Foundation to provide free online coaching to 5,000 aspirants every year.

The beneficiaries include students from Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, and those covered under the PM CARES for Children scheme from across India, including Odisha.

The program is designed to support candidates preparing for the Civil Services Examination, Staff Selection Commission examinations, and banking exams.

Athawale clarified that no similar memorandum has been signed by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for Scheduled Tribe students.

Under the initiative, selected candidates receive free access to structured online courses that include live and recorded classes, test series, previous years’ question papers, study material, mentorship, doubt-solving support, and counseling.

Selection is merit-based and conducted through a dedicated online portal. The arrangement is non-financial, with the ministry identifying eligible beneficiaries and the Physics Wallah Foundation providing content through its digital platform at no cost to either students or the government.

“The objective of the initiative is to provide free online coaching to eligible beneficiaries so as to enable them to appear in competitive examinations for securing employment and to enhance their access to quality preparatory resources, thereby promoting social inclusion and equal opportunity,” the minister said in his reply.

Soon after the information became public, criticism surfaced on social media, with users questioning the exclusion of students from the general category and the Economically Weaker Sections.

Some social media users argued that continued reliance on caste-based criteria could hinder national development, while others described the move as politically motivated. At the same time, there were voices defending the scheme.

The debate has also overlapped with recent controversy around revised University Grants Commission guidelines. The guidelines proposed treating caste-based discrimination against Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBC students as an offense but did not mention the general category in one sub-clause.

The Supreme Court stayed their implementation until March 19, 2026. The revised rules, first issued in 2012 and reintroduced under directions from the Supreme Court through the Ministry of Education, have drawn criticism and protests, particularly from sections of the general category.

In this context, the coaching initiative has renewed allegations from some users that access to educational support remains uneven.

The government has said the program is aimed at supporting candidates from marginalized communities preparing for major competitive examinations and reiterated that Scheduled Tribe students are not included due to the absence of a formal agreement with any organization.

No official response has yet been issued addressing the social media criticism.