In a push towards educational equality, Delhi Government has announced free professional coaching for meritorious students of government schools preparing for highly competitive national examinations such as JEE, NEET, CLAT, CA Foundation and CUET-UG. The initiative, launched under the Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Vidya Shakti Mission, reflects the government’s growing emphasis on empowering talent, ensuring emotional well-being, and building future-ready schools across the capital.
The scheme, with a budget of Rs 21 crore, will help 2,200 deserving meritorious students in preparing for the top engineering, medical, law, and university exams. Coaching will be provided by reputed institutes like Aakash, Narayana, KD Campus, and Ravindra Institute, offering classes, live sessions, study materials, and test support after school and on weekends.
Education Minister Ashish Sood described the mission as a turning point in Delhi’s public education system, noting that access to high-quality coaching has long been a barrier for many bright students from government schools. “This mission is not just an education scheme; it is a movement to empower dreams and equalise opportunities,” Sood said. According to him, the initiative stands on three pillars: academic excellence, emotional wellness, and inclusivity. This will ensure that merit, not money, determines success.
The programme also includes special provisions to encourage greater participation of female students in competitive exams. Fifty seats per course have been reserved for girls in JEE, NEET, CLAT and CA Foundation, while CUET-UG will offer 1,000 seats, of which 150 are earmarked for girls. This focus on gender inclusion reflects a conscious attempt to close the opportunity gap and inspire more young women to pursue professional degrees.
The selection of candidates has been based on the Common Entrance Test (CET-2025), held on October 30, in which nearly 62,000 students participated. After a transparent counselling process, 2,200 students were chosen for the first batch. Physical classes commenced on November 26, 2025, marking the formal beginning of a project that seeks to transform Delhi’s public education landscape from within.
While announcing the scheme, Minister Sood laid emphasis on the fact that true education is not limited to academic performance but also concerns mental health, dignity and humanity. He reiterated the government’s commitment to building emotionally safe learning environments where students can pursue excellence without the burden of anxiety or comparison. “Education is not just about marks; it is about mental wellness, dignity and humanity,” he said, underscoring the emotional dimension of the Vidya Shakti Mission.
The Delhi Government also plans to introduce AI-enabled classrooms and technology-driven, human-centred education systems to prepare students for the evolving global landscape. This aligns with its broader effort to make government schools as competitive and resource-rich as private institutions. Through initiatives like the Vidya Shakti Mission, the state aims to redefine what quality public education means, transforming it into a model of inclusion, innovation and holistic development.
Ultimately, the Vidya Shakti Mission is more than a welfare initiative; it is a vision for the future where no student’s potential goes unrealised for lack of resources, where merit meets mentorship, and where every child, irrespective of background, has an equal chance to rise. It signals Delhi’s continuing commitment to reshaping its education system into one that not only teaches but also uplifts, inspires and empowers.
