Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Announces Free Coaching for Competitive Exams

The Uttarakhand government’s initiatives are aimed at providing free coaching for competitive exams, quality education, employment opportunities, and scholarships for meritorious students. The government is also focusing on innovation and qualitative improvement in education to ensure that students in the state receive a holistic education that prepares them for a successful future.

The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, recently made an announcement stating that students in the state will be given free coaching for competitive exams, including IAS, IPS, PCS, NDA, CDS, Medical, and Engineering. This move comes as part of the Mukhyamantri Utthan and Gyankosh Yojana initiative, aimed at preparing students for these challenging exams, especially those who may not be able to afford the costs of private coaching classes.

The program will provide various facilities such as online study material, offline classes, exam-related syllabus, question banks, and departmental hostels under the Gyankosh scheme. The state will establish rich libraries in every district using ashram method schools and departmental establishments, which will be open to students preparing for competitive examinations. The libraries will also have a contact center with qualified experienced and professional lecturers available to solve subject-related problems.

The Chief Minister has also announced that 1,000 schools in the state will be made into cluster model schools to ensure quality education. Under this initiative, primary, junior high schools, high schools, and intermediate colleges within a three-kilometer radius will be linked together. This will help to solve the problem of teacher shortages in the department and make it easier to upgrade schools and make them more resourceful.

Moreover, the state will provide scholarships ranging from Rs. 600 to Rs. 3,000 to students studying in government schools from class 6 to 12 who obtain more than 60 percent marks. This is part of the Chief Minister’s Meritorious Scholarship Scheme, which will be launched soon. The government is also providing free textbooks, notebooks, school dresses, school bags, and shoes to 17 lakh students studying in government schools.

The Chief Minister has emphasized the importance of employment opportunities for the state’s youth. He gave appointment letters to 150 selected assistant teachers in five subjects and stated that regular reviews are being conducted to fill vacant posts. Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi is reviewing it every 15 days.

Under the National Education Policy-2020, 270 schools in the state have been selected under the PM Shree Yojana. The Central Government will provide an amount of up to two crores to these schools for infrastructure works, libraries, furniture, smart classes, and other facilities.

Under the Samagra Shiksha initiative, the Central Government has sanctioned an amount of six crore 23 lakhs for 799 Anganwadi centers running in the premises of government schools. This amount is meant for providing child-friendly furniture and outdoor play material to the centers.

To ensure qualitative improvement and innovation in education, District Education and Training Institutes (DIET) in the state will receive an amount of 5-5 crores under the National Education Policy-2020. Special training will be arranged for all teachers, and parents will also receive training in the interest of the students.

Finally, under the National Education Policy-2020, the state will set up a Vidya Samiksha Kendra, with an approved amount of five crores from the Central Government. This will make the education system 100 percent online, with data of students and teachers, along with complete details of each school, available online. Teachers and schools’ work, as well as students’ and teachers’ attendance, can be assessed online from a control room in the review center.