Union Minister Ramdas Athawale visits Raj Malhotra IAS Academy in Chandigarh; Free coaching target doubled to 200 students; Watch Video
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, November 4, 2026: Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale visited the Raj Malhotra IAS Academy in Chandigarh, where he appreciated its initiatives to support aspiring civil servants through free coaching, career counselling and student welfare programmes.
During the visit, the Union Minister interacted with students, appreciated their achievements and honoured meritorious UPSC aspirants and outstanding counsellors associated with the academy.
Speaking about the visit, Raj Malhotra said the interaction provided an opportunity to discuss educational reforms, student welfare and the importance of mental health and career counselling in the education system.
He said the academy had introduced initiatives focusing on students’ mental health and career guidance and was also training counsellors to strengthen institutional support for young people.
Malhotra said the academy had been providing free coaching to students since 2015. Recalling an earlier initiative under which around 5,000 to 6,000 students received free coaching, he said the institution remained committed to helping aspirants who could not afford expensive preparation programmes.
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Announcing its plans for the coming academic session, Malhotra said the academy had set a target of providing free coaching to 200 students, including 100 girls. This would expand its existing free coaching initiative, with a special focus on improving opportunities for female aspirants.
He also expressed willingness to extend the academy’s educational services and expertise to support government initiatives for UPSC and State Public Service Commission aspirants.
During the interaction, Malhotra highlighted the need for better coordination between educational institutions and government departments to ensure that policy initiatives translated into meaningful support for students at the ground level.