Delhi Government Launches Free Residential JEE & NEET Coaching for Class 12 Students: Eligibility, Benefits and How to Apply

Published on: August 7, 2026 Category: Education / Scholarships / JEE & NEET

In a major initiative aimed at supporting talented students from economically weaker families, the Directorate of Education (DoE), Government of Delhi, has announced a free one-year residential coaching scholarship for students preparing for JEE (Engineering) and NEET (Medical).

The programme is being implemented in collaboration with the Dakshana Foundation, a non-profit organization known for providing free coaching to meritorious students from government schools across India.

Selected students will receive completely free coaching, hostel accommodation, food, study material, and test support for one year at the Dakshana Valley campus in Pune, Maharashtra.

What Is the Scheme?

This is a residential scholarship-cum-coaching programme for students who are currently studying in Class 12 Science stream in Delhi Government or Government-Aided schools during the 2026–27 academic session.

The objective is to help academically strong students who may not be able to afford expensive private coaching for competitive examinations such as IIT-JEE and NEET.

The selection will be done through the Joint Dakshana Selection Test (JDST) 2027, which is scheduled to be conducted in December 2026.

Key Highlights of the Programme

Coaching duration

1 year (residential)

Courses

JEE & NEET

Implementing partner

Dakshana Foundation

Campus location

Dakshana Valley, Kadus, Pune

Application fee

Nil

Selection test

JDST 2027 (Dec 2026)

What Will Selected Students Get?

The scholarship is designed to ensure that students do not face any major financial burden during preparation.

Facilities Covered

• Free JEE/NEET coaching

• Hostel accommodation at Dakshana Valley

• Nutritious meals

• Books and study material

• Mock tests and practice papers

• Academic mentoring and support

The government has stated that the programme is intended to provide end-to-end support, not just classroom coaching.

Who Can Apply?

1. School Eligibility

You must be:

• A regular Class 12 student (Science stream)

• Studying in a Delhi Government school or Government-Aided school

• Enrolled during the 2026–27 academic session

2. Board Examination Requirement

You should be appearing for the Class 12 board examination by May 2027.

Class 10 Marks Requirement

The eligibility is based on the combined percentage of Mathematics and Science in Class 10.

Engineering (JEE) – Male

Category	Minimum %
General	85%
EWS / OBC	80%
SC	70%
ST	65%
PD	55%

Engineering (JEE) – Female

Category	Minimum %
General	80%
EWS / OBC	75%
SC	65%
ST	60%
PD	50%

Medical (NEET) – Male & Female

Category	Minimum %
General	80%
EWS / OBC	75%
SC	65%
ST	60%
PD	50%

Family Income Criteria

The scheme has separate income limits for male and female applicants.

Male applicants

Annual family income must be below ₹3,00,000

Female applicants

Annual family income must be below ₹5,00,000

Income proof will be required during the application and verification process.

Step-by-Step Selection Process

The selection process is multi-stage and designed to identify both academic ability and commitment.

Stage 1: Online Registration

Eligible students submit the application through the official Dakshana portal.

Stage 2: Academic Shortlisting

Shortlisting is based on:

• Class 10 marks

• Class 12 Term-1 performance

Stage 3: Dakshana Scholar Application (DSA)

Shortlisted students fill a detailed profile form.

Stage 4: Online Mock Tests

Candidates must participate in mock tests through the Dakshana Scholarship Test Android app.

Stage 5: JDST 2027

The main selection examination will be conducted in December 2026.

Stage 6: Interview & Document Verification

High-scoring candidates will undergo:

• Document verification

• Income verification

• Category verification (if applicable)

• Personal interview

Stage 7: Final Selection

Selected students will receive admission offers for the residential programme at Dakshana Valley.

How to Apply Online

Visit the official website: https://www.dakshana.org/

Open the JDST 2027 application form

Fill personal, academic and school details

Upload income and category documents

Submit the form and download the Dakshana app

Students should keep a copy of the submitted application for future reference.

Why Is This Scheme Important?

Private coaching for JEE and NEET can cost ₹1.5 lakh to ₹3 lakh per year, and residential coaching may cost even more.

For many government-school students, the major barriers are:

• High coaching fees

• Hostel expenses

• Food and transportation costs

• Lack of academic support

By covering all these components, the scheme attempts to reduce the financial gap between students from affluent and low-income families.

How Is Dakshana Different?

The Dakshana Foundation has previously run free coaching programmes for students from government schools in several states.

The Delhi Government’s partnership with Dakshana is aimed at increasing representation of government-school students in institutions such as:

• IITs

• NITs

• AIIMS

• Government medical colleges

Important Points Students Should Remember

JDST 2027 is expected in December 2026.

Mock tests through the Dakshana app are mandatory.

Income and category certificates must be valid.

Only regular Class 12 Science students are eligible.

There is no coaching fee for selected students.

Final Analysis

The Delhi Government’s free residential JEE and NEET coaching initiative is a targeted merit-cum-means scholarship programme rather than a universal coaching scheme.

Its success will depend on:

• Fair selection through JDST 2027

• Awareness among eligible government-school students

• Effective academic mentoring

• Continuous support during the residential programme

For students who meet the eligibility criteria, this could be a significant opportunity to prepare for highly competitive engineering and medical entrance examinations without bearing the heavy cost of private residential coaching.

The scheme reflects a broader policy objective of improving access to quality competitive-exam preparation for talented students from economically weaker backgrounds and increasing their participation in premier higher-education institutions.