Union minister Pralhad Joshi holds review meeting on PM's free online coaching initiative

Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi convened a review meeting with senior officials on Wednesday to assess the progress of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to offer free online coaching to youth preparing for competitive exams. The proposal was unveiled during Modi's Independence Day address on Saturday. Joshi confirmed via X that the session with Department of Higher Education officials centered on creating a strong national platform that would deliver high-quality learning materials, expert advice, and structured preparation to students throughout the nation.

The Prime Minister had previously announced the free online coaching to relieve the financial strain on families of aspiring candidates. Coaching classes impose a financial burden on the poor and middle class, a sentiment echoed by Modi in his address to the nation on India's 80th Independence Day. He highlighted that every parent feels guilty if they don't enroll their child in a coaching class, believing it would tarnish their family's prestige.

The Prime Minister assured these families that by providing free online coaching, they could save thousands of crores of rupees spent on coaching, remain closer to their children, and provide better care. With India's digital public infrastructure and a pool of talented educators, Modi pledged to construct a comprehensive network to deliver free coaching to the country's youth.

The nation witnessed significant youth mobilization against the NEET-UG paper leak and other education reforms, including strategies to address the over-reliance on coaching centers, in the preceding month. The "Sansad Chalo" (March to Parliament) campaign, spearheaded by the Chief Justice of India, concluded on July 20 with widespread protests, compelling the government to concede the protesters' primary demand—the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.