NEW DELHI/VADODARA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the government was working on a mechanism to provide free online coaching to students preparing for competitive examinations, aimed at reducing the financial burden on poor and middle-class families.
Addressing the ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ programme in Vadodara, where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 35,000 crore, Modi said a substantial share of family income was often spent on coaching for competitive examinations.
“You are aware that lakhs of young people prepare for competitive examinations. Every year, a significant portion of our families’ earnings is spent on coaching for these students,” Modi said.
He said the proposed initiative would help families save money while giving students access to quality guidance.
“We aim to save money for the families of poor and middle-class students. Consequently, the government is moving towards providing free online coaching, allowing our youth to prepare under the guidance of India’s best teachers. The government itself will oversee this coaching arrangement,” he added.
The prime minister had announced the initiative in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort on August 15.
Modi also said changing requirements in the global job market had made it necessary to give greater importance to skills alongside conventional degrees. The government, he said, was accordingly working to transform education policies and institutions.
Highlighting the growing relevance of artificial intelligence, Modi said expertise in AI would have applications far beyond the information technology sector. He pointed to areas such as agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing and robotics startups where AI could create new opportunities.
Describing the present period as an “extraordinary era” for India, Modi urged the country’s youth to align their aspirations with the goal of building a developed India by 2047.
He said young people would have a central role in achieving the ‘Viksit Bharat’ objective and called upon them to prepare themselves with the skills and knowledge needed for the emerging global economy.