Karnataka introduces free online coaching for CET, NEET, and JEE preparation

The Congress government in Karnataka on Wednesday, launched a free online coaching initiative aimed at helping 25,000 pre-university students from government and aided colleges prepare for entrance exams like CET, NEET, and JEE, The Hindu reported.
These exams are crucial for admission to professional courses such as engineering and medicine. The Mumbai-based coaching institute PACE IIT.Medical has been entrusted with conducting the sessions.
As reported by The Hindu, the project was initially allocated ₹12 crore in the 2024-25 State Budget, but its final cost has been reduced to ₹8 crore.
The programme will benefit 25,000 students, including 5,000 from Adarsh Government PU Colleges and 10,000 each from I PU and II PU classes. Selection was based on an entrance test organized by PACE IIT.Medical. Each selected student will receive a unique login ID and password to access online classes, tests, and study materials. The sessions will be held outside regular college hours, with I PU and II PU students attending in separate classrooms, monitored via a mobile app. Regular tests will evaluate student performance, with marks and rankings announced.
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Minister for School Education and Literacy, Madhu Bangarappa, launched the programme and assured that classes would be bilingual, taught in both Kannada and English. He promised an expansion to at least 1 lakh students in the next budget, based on the initiative’s success.
On the other hand, Karnataka Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday said 100 engineering colleges are set to be “adopted” by an equal number of corporates by next year, as the government makes efforts to rope in industries to boost the employment prospects of students.
Citing an example, he quoted a big automobile company as saying that it is ready to provide jobs but students are not employable as they lack training.
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