Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has partnered with the Physics Wallah Foundation to provide free competitive exam coaching to 5,000 students every year from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and PM CARES for Children beneficiaries—children who lost one or both parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The nationwide programme will cover preparation for central government recruitment examinations, including SSC and banking exams, with the aim of improving access to quality coaching for students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. Officials said the initiative is aligned with the constitutional framework of affirmative action, intended to address long-standing inequities in access to education and employment.
According to the ministry, the inclusion of PM CARES for Children beneficiaries reflects a targeted welfare approach for those rendered vulnerable by the pandemic, while the SC and OBC focus is consistent with existing reservation and social justice policies.
Criticism and Debate
The programme has triggered debate on social media and among commentators. Influencer Anuradha Tiwari criticised the initiative, describing it as “reverse discrimination” against general category students. She and others have called for the creation of a National Commission for General Category students and have advocated for economic-criteria-based assistance across categories, citing rising education and coaching costs.
Some general category families argue that while merit-based scholarships exist, they are limited in scale and do not adequately offset the high cost of competitive exam preparation. They also contend that support schemes should increasingly focus on income and vulnerability, rather than caste alone.
Government and Supporters’ View
Supporters of the programme maintain that affirmative action remains necessary due to persistent disparities in educational access and outcomes. They point out that general category economically weaker sections already benefit from the 10 per cent EWS quota, along with various merit-based scholarships and fee waivers.
Officials emphasised that the initiative does not reduce opportunities for other students but seeks to level the playing field by extending structured academic support to groups that have historically faced systemic barriers.
The programme adds to a growing portfolio of public–private partnerships in education, as the government looks to leverage private-sector capacity to expand access to competitive exam preparation at scale.
-OdishaAge
