Punjab to Give Free UPSC and PCS Coaching to 1,000 College Studentsਪੰਜਾਬ 1,000 ਕਾਲਜ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਮੁਫ਼ਤ ਯੂਪੀਐੱਸਸੀ, ਪੀਸੀਐੱਸ ਕੋਚਿੰਗ ਦੇਵੇਗਾ

The Punjab government will provide free online coaching for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination and the Punjab Civil Services examinations to 1,000 selected college students. The programme, announced in Chandigarh on 5 November, will cover 750 students from government colleges and 250 from private colleges. It is spearheaded by Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and is part of the state's Punjab Academic Coaching for Excellence (PACE) programme.

Aimed at students who cannot afford coaching

The initiative is meant to remove the financial and geographical barriers that often keep talented students, particularly those from rural areas and economically disadvantaged families, away from civil services preparation. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said a student's financial situation should not decide their future. Bains said that behind every civil services aspirant is a dream, years of determination and often a family that makes sacrifices to support that dream.

More than online classes

The programme will give selected students a comprehensive academic support system throughout their preparation, going beyond conventional online classes, according to the official statement. PACE is expanding access to free coaching for competitive examinations through academic partnerships with Physics Wallah and Avanti. The coaching will cover both the UPSC Civil Services Examination and the Punjab Civil Services examinations, so students can prepare for the country's top administrative services and the state's own services in the same programme.

Part of the Sikhiya Kranti push

Mann said the Punjab Sikhiya Kranti is not just about transforming classrooms, but about transforming the futures of children. The PACE programme has already run winter residential coaching camps for competitive examinations: more than 1,700 government school students took part in camps for JEE and NEET preparation across centres in Ludhiana, Bathinda and Mohali, with faculty from Physics Wallah, Vidya Mandir and Avanti Fellows. The new UPSC and PCS coaching extends the same idea to college students aiming for the civil services.

What students get

The 1,000 selected students will get free online coaching for the UPSC and PCS examinations, with academic support running through their preparation. The split is 750 seats for students from government colleges and 250 for students from private colleges. The government has not yet announced the selection process or the start date for the coaching, and students should watch for the official notification from the education department.

Who gets the free coaching?

1,000 selected college students in Punjab: 750 from government colleges and 250 from private colleges.

Which exams does it cover?

The UPSC Civil Services Examination and the Punjab Civil Services examinations, both through free online coaching.

Who is running the programme?

Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains is spearheading it under the PACE programme, with academic partnerships with Physics Wallah and Avanti.