Himachal Govt Partners with CRACK Academy for Free Coaching Scheme
Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has launched the ‘Mere Shahar Ke 100 Ratna’ programme to provide free coaching for various competitive examinations to 6,800 meritorious students across the state. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the initiative, which will be implemented by CRACK Academy with an estimated investment of Rs. 34 crore.
Under this scheme, 100 top-performing students from each Assembly constituency will receive free coaching, while the next 200 students will get a 75 percent concession and the following 500 students will receive a 50 percent concession. Students from Class VI and above can participate in selection tests, which will be conducted in schools and colleges across all constituencies. CRACK Academy will provide continuous support and mentoring to these students until they achieve their academic goals.
The state government will collaborate with CRACK Academy for the successful execution of this initiative. While the Academy will prepare test papers, the Education Department will oversee the conduct of examinations to ensure fairness and transparency.
To create awareness about the scheme, the Chief Minister also launched a mega awareness campaign targeting students and parents. The programme was initially piloted in the Jawalamukhi Assembly constituency of Kangra district, where students from 50 schools participated. Currently, 220 students selected from Jawalamukhi are receiving coaching under this initiative.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Sukhu emphasized, “This initiative will provide a platform for talented students to prepare for competitive exams while also generating employment in the state. CRACK Academy plans to establish over 90 coaching centers, directly employing 5,000 people and creating additional indirect employment.”
In addition to coaching, CRACK Academy will invest Rs. 1.5 crore in the renovation and maintenance of the library at Ridge, Shimla. The Chief Minister directed that while modernizing the library with advanced learning facilities, its heritage value should be preserved.
