The Karnataka government on Wednesday (November 20) rolled out free online coaching for 25,000 pre-university students from government and aided colleges to help them prepare for entrance exams like CET, NEET, and JEE. These exams serve as gateways to professional courses such as engineering and medicine.
Mumbai-based private coaching institute PACE IIT.Medical has been entrusted with conducting the classes. While the 2024-25 State Budget initially allocated ₹12 crore for the project, the contract was finalised at ₹8 crore, according to official sources.
Selection process
The programme will benefit 25,000 students, including 5,000 from Adarsh Government PU Colleges and 10,000 each from I PU and II PU classes across government and aided colleges. Selection was based on an entrance test conducted by PACE IIT.Medical.
Each selected student will receive a unique login ID and password to access classes, tests, and study material online. The classes will be conducted for an hour before and after college hours. I PU and II PU students will attend these sessions in separate classrooms, where attendance will be recorded via a mobile app.
Regular tests will be held to evaluate students’ performance, with marks and rank lists announced. Doubts raised during weekday classes will be compiled by subject teachers and forwarded through PACE’s portal, with expert clarification provided on Saturdays.
Students’ appeal
Students have welcomed the government’s efforts and appealed to make it universally accessible.
“Many of us dream of becoming doctors or engineers, but due to financial constraints, we can’t afford additional coaching. This free programme is a big support,” said Pavan Kumar, a student of Government PU College, Malleswaram, Bengaluru.
Another student highlighted the disappointment of friends who couldn’t qualify for the programme. “Most students in government colleges come from underprivileged backgrounds. The government should extend this programme to all students,” they urged.
Minister promises expansion
Madhu Bangarappa, Minister for School Education and Literacy, launched the initiative at Vidhana Soudha and interacted with students online. He emphasised that while only selected students will receive credentials to access study materials, other students, including repeaters and those from private colleges, can still participate in the classes.
“Based on the success of this initiative, we aim to extend it to at least 1 lakh students in the next budget,” the minister said. He also assured that classes will be bilingual, taught in both Kannada and English. “All teachers hired by PACE IIT.Medical are from Karnataka and are proficient in Kannada,” he added.
Published – November 21, 2024 06:55 am IST
