Free Coaching for SC and OBC Students: ₹4,000 a month

This is not a scholarship for your college fees. It is the government paying an empanelled Central University to coach you for a competitive exam, and paying you a stipend while you do it.

Which exams are covered

• Group A and B examinations of the UPSC, the Staff Selection Commission and the Railway Recruitment Boards
• Group A and B examinations of the State Public Service Commissions
• Officer grade examinations of banks, insurance companies and PSUs
• Entrance examinations for engineering (IIT-JEE), medicine (NEET), management (CAT) and law (CLAT)
• SAT, GRE, GMAT, IELTS and TOEFL
• Entrance tests for CPL (commercial pilot) courses, the National Defence Academy and the Combined Defence Services

Who can apply

For SC and OBC students:

• Total family income from all sources up to ₹8 lakh a year
• For exams where the qualifying examination is Class 12: you must have passed Class 12 or be studying in Class 12, and you must have at least 50% in Class 10
• For exams where the qualifying examination is a degree: you must have completed your UG course or be in its final year, and you must have at least 50% in Class 12
• A valid Aadhaar with a bank account seeded to it

SC and OBC candidates who belong to a minority community are pointed instead to the corresponding schemes of the Ministry of Minority Affairs or the state government.

For beneficiaries of the PM CARES Children Scheme:

Anyone holding a PM CARES Children Scheme beneficiary certificate with a beneficiary ID issued by the Central Government is eligible, and the guidelines say plainly that no income or caste restriction applies to them. They are also admitted over and above the university's allotted seats.

What you get

• The course fee, paid for you up to a ceiling that depends on the exam: ₹75,000 for Civil Services, JEE/NEET, IES and CA-CPT/GATE; ₹50,000 for banking, insurance and PSU exams and for CAT/CMAT; ₹40,000 for SSC and RRB; ₹35,000 for GRE, GMAT and SAT; ₹30,000 for CPL courses; ₹20,000 for NDA and CDS
• A stipend of ₹4,000 a month for the full duration of the course, up to 12 months
• ₹15,000 extra as an incentive if you clear the Mains stage of the Civil Services or a State Civil Services examination for Class 1 and Class 2 posts, to prepare for the interview

Course lengths run from 3 to 4 months for NDA/CDS up to 12 months for Civil Services. Money is paid straight to you by DBT into your Aadhaar-seeded account, in two instalments of 50% — the first when the course starts and the second after three-quarters of it is done. You are expected to pass the university's share on to the university within 15 days.

How many seats

3,500 students a year across the country. Each empanelled Central University takes not more than 100 students, in a 70:30 ratio of SC to OBC, and 30% of the seats in each category are reserved for women. The coaching centres are called Dr. Ambedkar Centres of Excellence and the scheme is run by the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation.

The conditions people trip on

• You can use this scheme not more than twice in your life, whatever the exam and however many attempts you are entitled to
• You cannot take this and another Central or State Government coaching scheme at the same time, and you have to declare it
• Attendance is recorded biometrically with Aadhaar. Being absent for more than four days a month without an acceptable reason, such as a medical or family emergency, can get your seat cancelled

Documents to keep ready

• Caste certificate (SC or OBC), or your PM CARES Children beneficiary certificate with the beneficiary ID
• Income certificate. For self-employed parents it must come from a revenue officer not below the rank of Tehsildar; salaried parents get it from the employer with a consolidated certificate covering other income
• Class 10 marksheet, and the Class 12 marksheet where the exam you are targeting needs a degree
• Aadhaar seeded with your bank account, and your bank passbook

How to apply

Apply on the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in — the scheme opened there on 3 August 2026 and closes on 31 October 2026. Complete your One Time Registration first, then apply under the Free Coaching scheme and pick the course you want. Shortlisting is done by the Central University you apply to, which forwards the selected list to the Ministry through the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation.

Dates checked on 4 August 2026. Deadlines in India move without notice, so confirm on the official portal linked above before you apply.