Lucknow: In a major initiative aimed at promoting social inclusion and equal opportunities in civil services, the Uttar Pradesh government has launched a free Residential Coaching Scheme for IAS and PCS aspirants from economically weaker sections belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The scheme, which will commence from August 2026, is being implemented by the Social Welfare Department under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It seeks to ensure that talented students are not deprived of quality coaching due to financial constraints.
According to officials, more than 5,000 aspirants have already registered online for the programme, indicating strong interest from youth across various districts of the state.
865 Seats Fixed Across Uttar Pradesh
2012 batch IAS officer Sanjeev Singh, Director of the Social Welfare Department, said that a total of 865 seats have been earmarked under the scheme for economically weaker candidates belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories.
Out of these, 25 per cent seats have been reserved for lateral entry candidates who have already cleared the preliminary stage of competitive examinations and are preparing for the mains examination.
“This reservation for preliminary-qualified candidates will provide better guidance to those preparing for the main examination of administrative services,” Singh said.
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Selection Through Entrance Examination
Interested candidates will have to appear in a selection examination conducted under the scheme. Those selected will receive residential coaching facilities for preparation for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Provincial Civil Service (PCS) examinations.
The coaching programme will include:
- Free residential accommodation
- Study material
- Classroom coaching
- Expert guidance
- Mentorship for competitive examinations
Relief for Students Unable to Afford Private Coaching
Preparation for civil services examinations often requires spending lakhs of rupees at private coaching institutes, which remains a major barrier for students from economically weaker and underprivileged families.
Officials said the free coaching initiative is designed to bridge this gap and provide quality preparation opportunities to deserving candidates.
The government believes that financial hardship should not prevent talented students from pursuing careers in the administrative services.
Transparency in Selection Process
The Social Welfare Department stated that the entire selection process and functioning of the coaching programme will be conducted with maximum transparency.
According to the department, the initiative reflects the state government’s commitment to ensuring that opportunities for civil service preparation are accessible to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Strengthening Social Inclusion in Civil Services
Officials said the scheme is not merely a coaching programme but also an effort to strengthen representation of SC, ST and OBC communities in administrative services.
By providing free coaching, accommodation and academic support, the government aims to help more candidates from economically weaker sections compete successfully in prestigious examinations such as the IAS and PCS.
A First-of-Its-Kind Initiative in Uttar Pradesh
Department officials described the programme as a unique initiative at this scale in Uttar Pradesh, noting that previous governments had not introduced a comparable residential coaching scheme specifically targeted at economically weaker SC, ST and OBC aspirants.
With classes scheduled to begin in August 2026, the scheme is expected to become a significant support system for thousands of young civil service aspirants across the state.
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