GANGTOK: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on September 5 announced the launch of CM-SAATHI, an initiative offering free coaching to JEE and NEET aspirants from economically disadvantaged families.
Launched on Teachers’ Day in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, the scheme will provide a two-month crash course to help students prepare for engineering and medical entrance examinations. The state Cabinet approved the proposal on Friday.
Tamang said many students from poor backgrounds aspired to compete in JEE and NEET but could not afford coaching fees.
He also announced the Launch Pad scheme, under which economically weaker students, persons with disabilities and orphaned youth preparing for central government and public sector undertaking examinations will receive one-time financial assistance of up to Rs 10,000 for study materials, travel and other preparation-related expenses.
The Chief Minister further announced an annual State-level Teachers’ Run and Inter-School & College Run to promote physical fitness, healthy living and participation in sports among students and teachers.
Tamang said education remained a key priority for his government, which allocated around 15 per cent of the state’s total expenditure to the sector in 2025–26. He said Sikkim’s declaration as a Fully Literate State on May 27 marked an important milestone, with the government now shifting its focus from access to education towards quality and excellence.
He said the government aimed to make Sikkim a destination for quality education by 2035, reducing the need for students to leave the state while attracting learners from elsewhere in India.
The government was also working on teacher recruitment and regularisation, vocational and inclusive education, foundational literacy and numeracy, indigenous languages and the Sikkim Life Skills Curriculum, which will include CPR, first aid, fire safety and disaster preparedness.
Tamang said the state was working with IISER Pune and Azim Premji University on curriculum development, teacher training and learning outcomes.
He also congratulated Sushma Tamang, PGT Chemistry at PM SHRI Government Senior Secondary School, Dikling, for receiving the National Teachers Award 2026 from President Droupadi Murmu.
Dhan Kumar Gurung and Sudip Subba were congratulated for being selected to represent Sikkim at the national level, while Kinzang Dorjee Bhutia and Thinley Namgyal Bhutia were recognised with the National Award for Innovation in Educational Administration.
Twelve teachers were also presented with the State Teachers Award.
