Itanagar, March 6: The government of Arunachal Pradesh is providing free coaching for candidates preparing for the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination and financial incentives to encourage students appearing for national-level competitive examinations, Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona informed the state Assembly on March 6.
Responding to a question raised by BJP MLA Wanglin Lowangdong during Question Hour, the minister said the state government has arranged free UPSC coaching for aspirants from tribal communities through an institute based in New Delhi. He said candidates who clear the preliminary stage of the civil services examination are provided a one-time financial incentive of Rs 2 lakh, while those qualifying in the mains examination receive Rs 3 lakh.
Sona further stated that the government also extends a one-time financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to candidates who clear national-level examinations conducted by the UPSC, including the National Defence Academy Examination, Combined Defence Services Examination, Indian Forest Service Examination and Indian Engineering Services Examination.
In addition, tribal students who secure admission to premier institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management, All India Institute of Medical Sciences and National Law Universities are granted a one-time financial support of Rs 2 lakh, he added.
The minister also informed the House that career counselling facilities have been established in all colleges across the state. Language enhancement programmes for tribal students are also being conducted in collaboration with British Council India.
Responding to a supplementary query regarding students studying outside the state and abroad, Sona said the government does not maintain a specific database of such students. However, data available on the National Scholarship Portal indicates that about 11,775 students from Arunachal Pradesh are currently pursuing studies outside the state. He noted that the actual number may be higher, as many students do not apply for scholarships and therefore remain outside official records.
Under the Arunachal Pradesh Academic Excellence Scheme, the state government has sanctioned Rs 194.40 lakh during the current financial year to support four students pursuing higher education at universities ranked among the top 150 in the QS World University Rankings.
“The responsibility of the government is to empower students through various schemes, and they can apply for necessary scholarships,” the minister said.
