Punjab to give free UPSC, PCS coaching to 1,000 college students: CM Bhagwant Mann

Chandigarh. College students in Punjab who want a civil services career will soon be able to prepare without paying for coaching. The state government on Thursday said it will fund online coaching for the UPSC Civil Services Examination and the Punjab Civil Services (PCS) exam for 1,000 selected students.

Of the 1,000 seats, 750 will go to students of government colleges and 250 to those in private colleges. Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains is leading the programme.

“Every young person in Punjab carries a dream, and no dream should be held back because a family cannot afford coaching or a student lives far from a coaching centre,” Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said. “We want the children of Punjab to dream without limits and know that their Government stands with them.”

What students will get

Selected students will get live and recorded classes, study material, a test series, answer-writing practice with evaluation, one-on-one mentoring, doubt-clearing sessions and interview guidance. Because the classes are online, students can join from anywhere in Punjab.

The government said the scheme is meant mainly for students from villages and poorer families, who are often kept out by high coaching fees or the distance to big coaching centres.

‘Coaching was a distant dream’

For a UPSC aspirant from Fazilka, paid coaching had always been out of reach. “Civil services has always been an aspiration for many of us, but preparing for these examinations requires significant guidance, resources and financial support,” the student said. “This initiative gives students like us an opportunity to prepare seriously without worrying about the cost of coaching.”

An aspirant from Tarn Taran, raised by a single parent, said expert teachers, regular tests, mentoring and answer-writing help “can make a real difference in our preparation”. “It gives us confidence to prepare and pursue these dreams and work towards serving society,” the student added.

Village student to get big-city preparation: Bains

“Behind every civil services aspirant is a dream, years of determination and often a family that makes sacrifices to support that dream,” Bains said. “We want to ensure that financial circumstances do not decide how far a student can go.”

He said a student in a village or small-town college would now get the same preparation, guidance and academic support as someone studying in a major coaching hub. “For us, the real success of Punjab Sikhiya Kranti is when a student begins to believe that no aspiration is beyond their reach,” he said.

Sikhiya Kranti moves to colleges

The government said the scheme carries its Punjab Sikhiya Kranti education campaign beyond schools into higher education and careers, as part of its Rangla Punjab vision. It said the aim is to prepare the next generation of administrators and public leaders.

Mann said the scheme would give students the confidence to aim to become “officers, administrators and leaders of tomorrow”. “Punjab Sikhiya Kranti is not just about transforming classrooms; it is about transforming the futures of our children. When our youth move forward, Punjab moves forward,” he said.

58,614 students already in free JEE, NEET coaching

The state already runs free JEE and NEET coaching for government school students under its Punjab Academic Coaching for Excellence (PACE) programme, with Physics Wallah and Avanti as academic partners. The programme has 58,614 students from Classes 9 to 12.

Of these, 29,129 are preparing for JEE and 22,096 for NEET, while 3,110 Class 9 and 4,279 Class 10 students get foundation coaching. Class 11 has 24,950 students on the programme and Class 12 has 26,275.

NEET qualifiers double in two years

In 2026, 882 government school students qualified NEET-UG, 361 cleared JEE Main and 64 cleared JEE Advanced, the government said. The number of NEET qualifiers has gone up from 437 in 2024 to 847 in 2025 and 882 this year, more than double in two years.