Karnataka Opens Doors to 90,000 Aspirants with Free Coaching Scheme, Announces 7.5% Rural Reservation in Higher Education
₹9-crore initiative under Chief Minister’s 100-day action plan aims to break financial and geographical barriers in government job preparation
Bengaluru, 9 September 2026 — In a transformative move poised to reshape access to government employment and higher education, Karnataka Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy on Wednesday launched the application portal for the Mukhyamantri Vidyarthi Sahay Hastha scheme, a landmark initiative offering free online coaching to students preparing for competitive examinations.
Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Rayareddy framed the programme as a moral imperative, not merely a policy measure. “Children of farmers, rural families, and the middle and lower-middle classes should not be deprived of competitive examination opportunities,” he declared. “The Higher Education Department is implementing this scheme free of cost to help them prepare for and secure government jobs.”
The government has committed ₹9 crore to the scheme, which will provide three months of structured online coaching to nearly 90,000 students—at a provision of ₹1,000 per candidate. The programme falls under the Chief Minister’s 100-day action plan, underscoring the administration’s urgency in ensuring that financial hardship and geographical distance no longer determine who gets to compete for public service roles.
A Gateway to Three Examinations
The scheme will cover examinations conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) and the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), including recruitment tests for Second Division Assistants, First Division Assistants, Panchayat Development Officers, Police Sub-Inspectors, Gazetted Probationers, and teachers. Police constable, Revenue Department, and other government recruitment examinations are also expected to be brought under its ambit.
Each candidate will be permitted free coaching for a maximum of three competitive examinations. Eligible coaching institutions will be selected to deliver the programme, with training set to begin shortly.
The coaching will be delivered through a robust Learning Management System, offering live online classes, recorded lectures, digital study material, practice tests, periodic assessments, and live doubt-clearing sessions. Attendance and academic progress will be meticulously monitored, while the quality of coaching will be evaluated through student performance and feedback—ensuring accountability at every stage.
“The government’s objective is to make quality competitive examination coaching accessible to students across Karnataka,” Rayareddy affirmed.
Applications can be submitted through the Seva Sindhu website, mobile phones, or Grama One centres. The online system will streamline registration, document submission, verification, selection, and communication with candidates—making the process transparent and within reach of even the most remote aspirants.
A Historic Leap for Rural Students
In a parallel announcement with far-reaching implications, Rayareddy unveiled a 7.5% reservation in higher education for students who studied from Classes 1 to 12 in government schools and colleges.
“Rural students should not be denied higher education opportunities,” he said. “This reservation will improve their chances of securing admission to good medical and engineering colleges.”
The measure is expected to particularly benefit children from farming families and middle and lower-middle-income households, granting them wider access to professional and higher education—and, in turn, to the futures they have long been denied by circumstance.
Together, the two initiatives signal a decisive shift in Karnataka’s approach to equity: one that treats talent as universal but opportunity as something that must be deliberately, structurally, and generously extended to those who have been left behind.
