Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh

Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government will provide completely free online coaching for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination and Punjab Civil Services (PCS) examinations to 1,000 selected college students across the state.

The initiative, led by Education Minister Harjot Bains, will benefit 750 students from government colleges and 250 from private colleges. It aims to make quality civil services coaching accessible to talented students, particularly those from rural areas and economically weaker backgrounds.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said no student's dream should be restricted because of financial difficulties or lack of access to coaching centres. He said the initiative would help young people aspire to become officers, administrators and future leaders.

Higher Education Minister Harjot Bains said financial circumstances should not determine a student's career opportunities. He added that students from villages and small towns would receive the same structured preparation and guidance as those studying in major coaching hubs.

Under the program, selected students will receive live interactive and recorded lectures, study material, test series, answer-writing practice, personalised mentorship, doubt-resolution sessions and interview guidance.

Several UPSC aspirants from Fazilka and Tarn Taran also welcomed the initiative, saying free coaching would reduce their financial burden and provide access to experienced faculty and quality academic support.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Government's Punjab Academic Coaching for Excellence (PACE) program has enrolled 58,614 students from Classes 9 to 12 for free competitive examination coaching through partnerships with Physics Wallah and Avanti.

Of these, 29,129 students are enrolled for JEE preparation and 22,096 for NEET coaching.

The government said 361 students from government schools qualified for JEE Main 2026, 64 cleared JEE Advanced 2026 and 882 qualified for NEET-UG 2026. The number of NEET qualifiers increased from 437 in 2024 to 882 in 2026.