Now Reading: Free online coaching faces India’s private tuition test
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Free online coaching faces India’s private tuition test
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on August 15 that the government will provide free online coaching for competitive examinations through India’s digital public infrastructure. The plan aims to help poor and middle-class…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on August 15 that the government will provide free online coaching for competitive examinations through India’s digital public infrastructure. The plan aims to help poor and middle-class families save thousands of crores and reach students who cannot move away from home for preparation.
Participants in a discussion said free lectures alone may not reduce dependence on private coaching. Competitive exams require rapid problem-solving, test strategies and practice under time pressure, which schools and board examinations do not focus on. They suggested mobile-first, personalised systems using technologies such as agentic AI, along with physical skill hubs in schools, regular mentoring and peer interaction. Existing platforms such as Swayam and Saathi were described as too traditional for these needs. The programme’s design will determine whether it becomes a complete preparation system or simply another video library.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The key implementation test will be whether students receive structured practice and timely feedback, rather than access to content alone. A public system would also need to show that students with weaker connectivity or limited devices can use it consistently. Useful measures would include participation by region and income group, course completion, improvement in mock-test performance and the cost per successful candidate. These indicators would distinguish wider access from a real shift in exam preparation. The first results from any pilot or rollout will be the clearest signal to watch.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
