Free coaching scheme for SC/OBC students falters as panel flags shrinking budgets, missed targets over three years

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has taken serious note of the poor implementation of the Centre's scheme to provide free coaching to underprivileged students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment has expressed concern over the consistent scaling down of financial and physical targets set under the scheme, which enables SC and OBC students to appear for competitive examinations and secure admission in reputed technical and professional higher educational institutions.

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Under the scheme, 3,500 students with a family income of ₹8 lakh or below are provided free coaching. As per statistics provided by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment before the committee, the target of covering underprivileged students has not been met over the last three fiscals. In 2023-24, against a target of covering 3,500 students, only 223 (6.4%) were provided free coaching. The number improved in 2024-25, when 2,136 (61%) students were covered. However, this fell drastically again to 431 (12.3%) in the 2025-26 financial year.

The ministry has been scaling down the budget estimates for the scheme and has still been unable to fully utilise the allocated funds. In 2023-24, it had earmarked ₹47 crore, which was scaled down to ₹35 crore in 2024-25 and then to ₹20 crore in 2025-26.

In the report, the panel said, "The committee members are not satisfied with the explanation given by the department for this poor performance such as limited participation by the central universities and delayed proposals. The performance has remained poor in spite of changes introduced by the department over the years such as making Dr Ambedkar Foundation as the central nodal agency."

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The committee noted that the proposal for the 16th Finance Commission cycle includes bringing state universities under the scheme and the introduction of a student-centric mode for wider coverage. The committee also did not find satisfactory the government's response that it had been continuously extending support to stakeholders, including institutions and eligible applicants.

The committee pointed out that the ministry should take "necessary steps to ensure that the budget is not revised downward at the revised estimate stage and also in the coming years and the budgetary allocation made for 2026-27 under the 'Free Coaching for SCs and OBCs' scheme is utilised fully".