Pre-Examination Coaching Scheme (Scheduled Tribe)

What is the Pre-Examination Coaching Scheme?

Pre-Examination Coaching Scheme is a welfare programme of the Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Uttarakhand, that provides free coaching and a monthly stipend to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students who are preparing for competitive examinations. The scheme addresses a specific gap: many ST students in Uttarakhand's hill and tribal districts cannot afford the private coaching that urban candidates use to crack entrance and recruitment tests, so the state funds that coaching for them.

According to the myScheme listing maintained for the Tribal Welfare Department, the coaching covers a wide band of examinations. The civil services (IAS), the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (PCS) examinations, engineering and medical entrance tests, nursing entrance, the National Defence Academy (NDA) and recruitment to Group 'C' government posts. The aim is to widen representation of Uttarakhand's tribal communities such as the Tharu, Buksa, Bhotia, Jaunsari and Raji in government service and professional courses.

The scheme has two parts that run together: the coaching itself, delivered through empanelled coaching arrangements, and a monthly cash stipend that helps the student meet living and study costs while they attend.

How much benefit does the scheme provide?

Pre-Examination Coaching Scheme provides two distinct benefits.

• Free coaching for the chosen competitive examination, with the coaching cost borne by the Tribal Welfare Department rather than the student.
• A monthly stipend paid directly to the student. The stipend is Rs 1,500 per month for outstation (non-local) students, those who have to live away from home to attend coaching, and Rs 750 per month for local students who can attend from home.

The higher outstation rate recognises that a student travelling from a remote tribal block to a coaching centre in a district town or in Dehradun faces lodging and food costs that a local student does not.

Who is eligible for the Pre-Examination Coaching Scheme?

You can apply if:

• You belong to a Scheduled Tribe community recognised in Uttarakhand and hold a valid ST caste certificate.
• You are a resident of Uttarakhand.
• You have completed High School, Intermediate or Graduation as required for the examination you are targeting.
• You are preparing for a competitive examination covered by the scheme.

You cannot apply if:

• You do not belong to a Scheduled Tribe, or cannot produce an ST caste certificate from the competent authority.
• You are already enrolled in a paid private coaching institute for the same examination.
• Your past academic marks fall below the merit cut-off for the limited seats available in a given year.

Selection is competitive. Because the number of funded seats is limited, the department ranks eligible applicants on their previous examination marks and admits the higher scorers first.

What documents are required?

Carry both originals and self-attested photocopies to the office, as the staff verify originals against the copies before accepting the form.

How to apply for the Pre-Examination Coaching Scheme

The scheme is applied for offline, through the Tribal Welfare Department.

1. Visit the Tribal Welfare Department office during working hours and ask for the Pre-Examination Coaching Scheme application form. In practice this is the district-level tribal or social welfare office.
2. Fill in the form with your personal details, the examination you are preparing for, and your academic record.
3. Attach self-attested copies of your ST caste certificate, educational marksheets, identity proof and bank details.
4. Submit the completed form at the same office and keep the acknowledgement safe.
5. Wait for the merit list. The department scrutinises applications, ranks candidates on marks, and calls the selected students for coaching.

There is no fee to apply. If any official or agent asks for money to "get your name added", that is not part of the scheme.

How do I check the status of my application?

Because the scheme runs offline, the most reliable way to check status is to follow up at the same Tribal Welfare Department office where you submitted the form, quoting the acknowledgement details. Ask when the merit list for the current cycle will be published and whether your name appears on it.

Common reasons applications are rejected

• Missing or defective ST caste certificate — the single most common reason. The certificate must be from Uttarakhand's competent authority and must be current.
• Marks below the merit cut-off for the year's limited seats.
• Already enrolled in paid coaching for the same exam.
• Incomplete form or missing documents, such as no bank account details for the stipend.

Most rejections are fixable in the next cycle: complete the caste certificate, attach all marksheets, and re-apply.

Key dates

The department does not publish a single fixed national deadline for this state scheme; intake is tied to the coaching batches it runs. Check with the Tribal Welfare Department office at the start of an examination season for the current application window.

Which communities and districts does the scheme serve?

Pre-Examination Coaching Scheme is aimed at Uttarakhand's five main Scheduled Tribe communities, and knowing where they live helps applicants find the right office. The Tharu and Buksa are concentrated in the terai belt of Udham Singh Nagar district; the Jaunsari live in the Jaunsar-Bawar area of Dehradun district; the Bhotia are spread across the higher reaches of Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttarkashi; and the small Raji (Van Rawat) community lives in Pithoragarh and Champawat. A student from any of these recognised communities, holding a valid Scheduled Tribe certificate, is the intended beneficiary, and the district-level tribal or social welfare office covering these areas is the practical point of contact.

The scheme's logic is representation. Competitive-exam success in India leans heavily on paid coaching, which families in a remote tribal block often cannot afford, so the Tribal Welfare Department funds that coaching to widen the presence of Uttarakhand's tribal communities in the civil services, the PCS cadre, the uniformed forces and professional courses. The monthly stipend, Rs 1,500 for outstation students and Rs 750 for local students: is built into the design so that a candidate who clears the merit cut-off is not later forced to drop out for want of lodging or food money while preparing.

Help and grievance redressal

For questions on tribal and social welfare schemes in Uttarakhand, the Social Welfare Department operates a toll-free helpline on 1800-180-4236 and a mobile/WhatsApp support line on 63952 21188. For scheme-specific issues, approach the Tribal Welfare Department office that received your application. If a grievance is not resolved at the office level, escalate in writing to the District Social Welfare Officer.

Pre-Examination Coaching Scheme, sometimes referred to locally as the tribal students' coaching scheme, is deliberately narrow, it serves Scheduled Tribe candidates who are ready to sit a competitive exam but lack the means to pay for preparation. Students who are not from an ST community should instead look at the parallel coaching support offered through the Social Welfare Department for Scheduled Caste and OBC candidates.