The North News
The Punjab Government will provide free online coaching for UPSC Civil Services and Punjab Civil Services examinations to 1,000 selected college students, aiming to make competitive examination preparation accessible to aspirants irrespective of their financial background or geographical location.
The initiative, spearheaded by Higher Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, will cover 750 students from government colleges and 250 from private colleges. The programme forms part of the Punjab Sikhiya Kranti initiative, which seeks to expand educational opportunities and support students aspiring to careers in public administration.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said financial constraints and geographical barriers should not prevent young people from pursuing civil services ambitions.
He said the initiative would provide students with opportunities to aspire to become officers, administrators and public leaders, adding that Punjab Sikhiya Kranti aimed at transforming students’ futures beyond classrooms.
Bains said civil services aspirants often depended on family sacrifices and financial resources to access coaching. The government wanted to ensure that economic circumstances did not determine how far students could progress, he added.
Students from villages and smaller towns would receive structured preparation, academic guidance and support comparable to that available in major coaching centres, according to the minister.
The programme will offer live interactive and recorded lectures, study materials, test series, answer-writing practice and evaluation, personalised mentorship, doubt resolution and interview guidance. The facilities will be accessible to selected students across Punjab.
A UPSC aspirant from Fazilka welcomed the initiative, saying it would allow students to prepare seriously without worrying about coaching expenses.
Another aspirant from Tarn Taran, who is a child of a single parent, said access to experienced faculty, regular tests and mentorship could strengthen preparation and provide confidence to pursue civil services.
The initiative is part of the government’s broader effort to extend educational opportunities beyond academic qualifications and create pathways to leadership and public service.
The government is also expanding its Punjab Academic Coaching for Excellence (PACE) programme, which provides free coaching for competitive examinations through academic partnerships with Physics Wallah and Avanti.
According to the supplied government statement, 58,614 students from Classes 9 to 12 are enrolled under the programme. Of these, 29,129 students are receiving JEE preparation and 22,096 NEET coaching.
Punjab government school students recorded improved results in national entrance examinations in 2026, with 361 qualifying JEE Main, 64 clearing JEE Advanced and 882 qualifying NEET-UG.
The number of government school students qualifying NEET-UG increased from 437 in 2024 to 847 in 2025 and 882 in 2026, the statement said.
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