Coaching Scheme for SC, OBC Students Meets Less Than One-Third of Target, Parliamentary Panel Flags

New Delhi: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech announced free online coaching to the youth for competitive exams, a parliamentary panel report has found that the Union government has failed to effectively implement a scheme meant to provide free coaching to economically disadvantaged students. 

The parliamentary standing committee on social justice and empowerment’s 21st ‘Report on Action taken by the Government on the Observations/Recommendations’ – contained in the 17th Report (Eighteenth Lok Sabha) on ‘Demands for Grants (2026-27)’ of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Department of Social Justice & Empowerment) – was tabled in parliament on August 10. 

The report includes the replies indicating action taken on the recommendations contained in the committee's 17th report, which was presented to Lok Sabha and laid in Rajya Sabha on March 11.

The report says that in the last three years, only 2,790 students have been enrolled against the target of 10,500 for the free coaching scheme. The report also noted the poor financial performance of the scheme.

In its 17th report, the committee had said that despite the scheme being allocated Rs 47 crore in 2023-24 in Budgetary Estimates, the Actual Expenditure was only Rs 7.76 crore, while in 2025-26, the Budgetary Estimate was reduced to Rs 20 crore but the Actual Expenditure was only Rs 7.11 crore. 

The Union ministry on social justice and empowerment in its reply to the committee said that while the concerns were duly noted, there has been a “positive trend as far as the expenditure is concerned”, with the scheme recording an actual expenditure of Rs. 7.7 crore during 2023-24 “which increased to Rs. 17.68 Cr during 2024-25 and Rs. 9.866 cr during 2025-26."

In its 17th report, the committee had also noted the “poor physical and financial performance of the scheme of ‘Free Coaching for SCs and OBCs’ over the years.”

It said that while the objective of the scheme is to provide good quality coaching to economically disadvantaged students from Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Caste communities – enabling them to appear in competitive examinations and securing admission in reputed technical and professional higher education institutions – the annual target of 3,500 had not been achieved.

It noted that in 2023-24 only 223 students had enrolled in the scheme, 2136 in 2024-25 and 431 in 2025-26. The report had also said that the committee was not not satisfied with the explanations – such as limited participation by the central universities and delayed proposals – given by the department for this poor performance 

In terms of expenditure, the committee in its 17th report had noted that out of the BE of Rs 47 cr in 2023-24, AE was only Rs 7.76 cr, in 2024-25 the BE was reduced to Rs 35 cr but AE was still Rs 17.68 cr only. Similarly in 2025-26, BE was further downgraded to Rs 20 cr and AE was only Rs 7.11 cr.

“The physical performance has been equally poor as vis-à-vis the target of 3,500 achievement has only been 223 in 2023-24, 2136 in 2024- 25 & 431 in 2025-26. The Committee [is] not satisfied with the explanation given by the department for this poor performance such as limited participation by the Central Universities and delayed proposals,” the report had said. 

“The performance has remained poor inspite of changes introduced by the department over the years such as making Dr. Ambedkar Foundation as the Central Nodal Agency. The Committee noted that the proposal for 16th Finance Committee cycle includes inclusion of state Universities and introduction of student centric mode for wider coverage. The Committee desires that these changes be made effective at the earliest to ensure that the BE of Rs 20 cr for this purpose for the year 2026-27 is fully utilised,” it added.

The ministry, in its action taken reply, however, said that while the committee’s concerns are noted, there has been a positive trend in the expenditure.

“The concerns of the Committee regarding the performance of the ‘Free Coaching for SCs and OBCs’ scheme are duly noted. The Department has been continuously extending support to the stakeholders including institutions and eligible applicants,” it said in its reply.

“Moreover, there has been a positive trend as far as the expenditure is concerned. The actual expenditure during 2023-24 was Rs. 7.7 Cr which increased to Rs. 17.68 Cr during 2024-25 and Rs. 9.866 Crores during 2025-26.”

While the ministry has  fixed a target of enrolling 7,000 candidates for free coaching in 2026-27, the committee has said it does not understand why this target has been fixed when the earlier target has not been achieved.

"The Committee also does not understand the reason for fixing a target of 7,000, which is double the previous target, particularly when the target fixed earlier is not being achieved," it said.

"The Committee desires that the family income ceiling should be re-examined so that a large number of candidates can avail the facility and scheme becomes more effective," it added, referring to the ceiling of annual family income at Rs 8 lakh for availing the scheme.

The report was tabled in parliament five days before Modi, in his Independence Day speech, said the government would provide free online coaching for competitive exams weeks after widespread youth protests demanding accountability for irregularities in competitive exams and repeated paper leaks took over the capital and other parts of the country.

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