Lucknow, Oct 19 (INB) Students studying in Class 12 science at Uttar Pradesh’s Jai Prakash Narayan Sarvodaya Vidyalayas will be eligible for one year of free coaching for engineering and medical entrance examinations, subject to their Class 10 marks and family income criteria, the state government said on Monday. The coaching will be provided through the Dakshana Foundation for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). Selected students will receive free coaching, accommodation and meals at the foundation’s campus in Dakshana Valley near Pune. Social Welfare Department Director Sanjeev Singh said students enrolled in Class 12 science in the 2026-27 academic session and scheduled to appear for their board examinations by May 2027 can apply for the Joint Dakshana Selection Test (JDST)-2027, subject to the prescribed eligibility criteria. For engineering coaching, general category boys must have secured at least 85 per cent marks in mathematics and science in Class 10, while the threshold for girls is 80 per cent. Separate eligibility criteria will apply to other categories and students with disabilities. For medical coaching, the minimum Class 10 marks requirement is 80 per cent for general category students, 75 per cent for Other Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections, and 65 per cent for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students. The annual family income must be below Rs 3 lakh for boys and Rs 5 lakh for girls to qualify for the scheme, the government said. Selected candidates will receive free coaching, accommodation and meals for one year. Principals of Sarvodaya schools have been directed to inform eligible students about the opportunity. Eligible students can apply online at apply.scholarship.dakshana.org.
