Congress questions Centre’s free coaching plan, cites poor record of existing scheme
The Congress party has criticized the Centre's new free online coaching initiative, citing the government's failure to meet enrollment targets in existing schemes. They argue that the government should focus on improving the public education system rather than subsidizing the private coaching industry.
Why it matters
It reflects the ongoing political debate in India regarding the quality of public education versus the rising costs of private coaching.
Citing the government’s poor record in implementing an existing free coaching scheme, the Congress on Friday (August 28, 2026) questioned the Centre’s decision to provide free online coaching to students.
In a post on X , Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh said Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had, at the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” event in Kota on June 17, highlighted the growing dependence of Indian families on coaching centres and argued that an “extractive coaching industry” had supplanted the public education system.
Mr. Gandhi had pointed out that Indian families were spending 2.5 times more on coaching centres than the Union government invests in education, Mr. Ramesh said.
He claimed that the disclosure had “forced” Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce free online coaching for students in his Independence Day address on August 15, “in a desperate attempt to escape growing public pressure”.
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