Itanagar, Mar 6: Arunachal Pradesh Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona announced in the state Assembly that the government is offering free UPSC coaching to aspirants from tribal communities through a New Delhi-based institute.

During Question Hour, responding to BJP MLA Wanglin Lowangdong, Sona outlined one-time financial incentives for civil services candidates: Rs 2 lakh for clearing the preliminary exam and Rs 3 lakh for the mains. He also stated that Rs 2 lakh is available for candidates qualifying other national UPSC exams, including NDA, CDS, Indian Forest Service, and Indian Engineering Service.

Tribal students admitted to premier institutions such as IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, and National Law Universities are eligible for a one-time financial aid of Rs 2 lakh. The state government has introduced career counselling in all colleges and partnered with the British Council to provide language enhancement courses for tribal students.

Regarding students studying outside Arunachal Pradesh, Sona said that no centralized data exists. Records from the National Scholarship Portal indicate about 11,775 tribal students are enrolled elsewhere in India, though the actual number may be higher as many do not apply for scholarships. Studies funded independently abroad are not tracked.

Under the Arunachal Pradesh Academic Excellence Scheme (APAES), four students received scholarships totaling Rs 194.40 lakh this financial year to attend universities ranked in the top 150 of QS World University Rankings. Sona emphasized that the government encourages students to apply for these scholarships to support their higher education.