The “Free Coaching Scheme for SC and OBC Students” is an initiative by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, to provide quality coaching for economically disadvantaged Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates. This coaching is designed to enable them to appear in competitive examinations for public/private sector jobs and gain admissions into reputed technical and professional higher education institutions.
Key Features of the Scheme:
- The scheme was revised in 2022-23, and under the revised guidelines, there is no empanelment of institutes. Students can now choose the institution of their preference for coaching.
- 3500 students will be selected annually.
- SC students will receive no less than 70% of the slots. In case of an insufficient number of SC candidates, this ratio can be relaxed to 50%.
- 30% of the slots are reserved for female candidates. If sufficient female candidates are unavailable, male candidates from the same category will be considered.
Benefits:
- Stipend of ₹4,000 per month for the full duration of the course, not exceeding 12 months.
- An incentive of ₹15,000 will be given to successful students who clear the mains stage of Central Civil Services/ State Civil Services exams for Class 1 and Class 2 posts.
Mode of Payment:
- All payments will be released to the students through DBT into their Aadhaar-enabled bank accounts.
- 50% of the stipend will be paid at the start of the course, and the remaining 50% after completing 75% of the course duration.
Courses for Coaching:
- UPSC, SSC, RRB exams (Group A & B exams)
- State Public Service Commission exams
- Officers’ Grade exams for Banks, Insurance Companies, PSUs
- Engineering, Medical, Law Entrance Exams (e.g., IIT-JEE, NEET, CAT, CLAT)
- IELTS, GRE, GMAT, SAT
- National Defence Academy and Combined Defence Services (NDA & CDS) exams.
Eligibility:
- The student should belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) or Other Backward Class (OBC).
- The applicant’s annual family income should not exceed ₹8,00,000.
- For competitive exams requiring a Class 12th qualification, the student must have passed Class 12th or be studying in Class 12th.
- For exams requiring an Undergraduate degree, the student must have completed the Undergraduate degree or be in the final year at the time of application.
- Benefits under the scheme can be availed only twice, regardless of how many attempts the student has for the competitive exams.
- The applicant should not be availing benefits from another coaching scheme.
Application Process:
- Step 1: Students must visit the Free Coaching Scheme Portal and apply for available courses.
- Step 2: Central Universities will invite eligible students to apply through advertisements.
- Step 3: The student will have to submit the necessary documents and apply online.
Timelines:
- Notification calling for applications: 1st May
- Last date for receipt of applications: 31st May
- Tentative date for merit list declaration: 5th June (for PMS and TCS students)
- Last date for joining coaching institutions: 4th December
- Last date for fee receipt submission: Within one month of submission.
Documents Required:
- Passport Size Photograph
- Aadhaar card
- Income Certificate
- Caste Certificate
- Residence Proof
- Age Proof
- Marksheet of Class 10th or Class 12th (depending on eligibility)
- Declaration stating that the applicant has not availed of benefits under the scheme more than twice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Q1: Under what direction and monitoring is the scheme run?
Different Steering Committees at the state, district, and university levels keep an eye on the plan.
Q2: Are students able to be registered by Central Universities outside the designated slots?
No, every university assigns a set number of spots for every course; so, one should not beyond this amount.
Q3: Under this approach, how are student payments handled?
DBT releases the stipend and coaching charge to the students’ Aadhaar-activated bank accounts.
Q4: For what minimal length of time should one coach various courses?
Usually based on the course, the tutoring period runs up to 12 months.
Q5: What income level qualifies a student to be eligible for this scheme?
The family income of the student should not surpass ₹8,00,000 yearly.
Q6: Are students able to simultaneously profit from several coaching plans?
No, the pupil can only use advantages from one government coaching program at once.
Q7: Should I be already pursuing an undergraduate degree, may I still apply for the scheme?
You can apply if you satisfy the qualifying requirements and find yourself in your last year of undergraduate study.