Physics Wallah Free Coaching Scheme Sparks Debate Among General Category Students

A new partnership between Physics Wallah and the government has sparked a heated debate in Delhi's coaching hubs. The edtech platform announced it would provide free online coaching to 5,000 students from SC and OBC categories each year. While this sounds like good news for many, students from the General and EWS categories feel left out.

The scheme will help students prepare for major competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, and banking examinations. But here's where things get tricky. Not everyone is happy about who gets access to this support.

Why Are Students Unhappy?

Vivek Mishra, a UPSC aspirant studying in Karol Bagh, raised a simple question. "Why are they providing coaching classes to specific categories of students? There are students in the General categories who really can't afford coaching classes. There are EWS category students who are needy people, but nothing is available for them."

His concern reflects a growing frustration among students who don't fit into reserved categories but still struggle to afford coaching. And coaching fees aren't cheap. Many institutes charge lakhs of rupees for their programmes.

Manoj Singh, an EWS category student preparing for SSC in Mukherjee Nagar, put it bluntly. "The government says this is about inclusion, but exclusion is also happening. There are many general category students whose families earn very little but don't get any institutional support. Coaching today costs lakhs. How are they expected to compete?"

The Growing Gap

The real issue isn't just about who gets free coaching. It's about access to quality education and how it affects competition. Students who can't afford coaching already face an uphill battle. When new schemes come up that don't include them, the gap only gets wider.

Shweta Joshi, another SSC aspirant, made this point clear. "Competitive exams are already not equal for us because of coaching access. Schemes like this widen that gap further for those who don't fall in reserved categories but still lack resources."

Think about it. Two students from poor backgrounds want to prepare for UPSC. One belongs to a reserved category and gets free coaching. The other is from the General category and has to either find money or go without proper guidance. Both need help, but only one gets it.

Who Gets Selected?

The government's press release mentioned that selection would be merit-based through an online portal. The scheme also covers beneficiaries of the PM CARES for Children Scheme. The stated goal is to support students preparing for Civil Services, SSC, and Banking exams.

Interestingly, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs hasn't signed any similar agreement for ST students yet. This detail hasn't gone unnoticed among aspirants tracking these developments.

Not The First Time

Physics Wallah isn't the only one offering targeted coaching. Various communities have their own support systems. Muslim, Jain, and Aggarwal communities provide free UPSC coaching for members of their community. Several state governments, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and West Bengal, run coaching classes in partnership with private institutes.

This creates an interesting landscape. If you belong to certain communities or categories, you have multiple avenues for support. If you don't, you're mostly on your own.

The Bigger Picture

The debate brings up valid questions about how we approach educational support. Should schemes focus only on reserved categories? What about economically weak students from unreserved categories? How do we ensure that help reaches everyone who genuinely needs it?

Nobody is saying that SC and OBC students don't deserve support. They face their own challenges and barriers. But students like Vivek, Manoj, and Shweta are asking a fair question. When economic need exists across categories, should support be limited by caste alone?

The coaching industry in Delhi is already changing fast. Online classes have disrupted traditional models. Admissions at physical centres have fallen. Employees have resigned. In this shifting landscape, students want clarity on who gets help and why.

What Students Want

Most students aren't against schemes that help reserved categories. They just want similar consideration for their own struggles. An EWS student and an OBC student might face the same financial constraints. Yet one gets free coaching and the other doesn't.

The solution isn't necessarily to stop schemes like Physics Wallah's initiative. Perhaps it's to expand the scope. Create parallel programmes that help students based on economic need, regardless of category. Make sure no deserving student is left behind because they don't fit a particular classification.

As competitive exams get tougher and coaching becomes more expensive, this conversation will only grow louder. Students preparing for UPSC, SSC, and other exams need support. The question is how we provide it fairly to everyone who needs it.