Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood has announced a ₹21 crore scheme under the Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Vidya Shakti Mission to provide free coaching for competitive exams to 2,200 meritorious government school students. The initiative reserves seats for girls and offers support after school hours. It aims to bridge educational gaps and enhance mental well-being amid concerns over student stress.
On December 1, 2025, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood announced the launch of free professional coaching for 2,200 meritorious students from government schools, targeting exams such as JEE Main, NEET, CLAT, CA Foundation, and CUET-UG. The scheme, allocated ₹21 crore in the budget, operates under the Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Vidya Shakti Mission and involves empanelled institutes including Aakash Institute, Narayana Academy, KD Campus, and Ravindra Institute.
Students were selected through the CET-2025 competitive exam held on October 30, 2025, with 62,000 participants. Counselling concluded recently, and physical classes began on November 26, 2025. The program provides classroom coaching, live sessions, study materials, and test preparation support after school hours and on weekends. It reserves 50 seats per course for female students in JEE, NEET, CLAT, and CA Foundation, while CUET-UG offers 1,000 seats with 150 reserved for girls.
Describing it as a 'turning point in Delhi’s public education,' Sood emphasized its role in empowering aspirations and ensuring emotional well-being. 'These students are not just preparing for exams; they are preparing to transform their lives. With this mission, we are not only offering educational resources but also building the courage, confidence, and emotional strength to dream bigger,' he said. The minister highlighted bridging societal gaps and unlocking academic potential at the grassroots, while urging schools to strengthen psychological support systems, especially following the suicide of a Class 10 student on November 18, 2025.
This initiative follows a previous Aam Aadmi Party program, the Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana launched in 2018 for reserved category students from low-income households, which stalled due to payment issues with institutes. In July 2025, Sood directed the Anti-Corruption Branch to probe an alleged ₹145-crore scam in that scheme. Sood also noted the government's push for AI-enabled classrooms and human-centered education to promote equal opportunities.