Sikkim has taken a big step to make quality education accessible to everyone. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang announced the launch of CM SAATHI during a Teacher’s Day programme in Gangtok. This initiative offers free coaching to JEE and NEET aspirants from economically disadvantaged families. The scheme is a joint effort with IIT Kanpur. It gives students a two month crash course to prepare for engineering and medical entrance examinations. Scroll to get more details.
CM SAATHI Will Remove Finance Barriers
The state cabinet approved the proposal on Friday. Tamang said many students from low income families dream of appearing for JEE and NEET. However they cannot afford expensive coaching programmes. CM SAATHI aims to help these deserving students overcome financial barriers and access quality entrance exam preparation. Tamang himself worked as a teacher before joining politics. He paid tribute to teachers on Teachers Day and acknowledged their contribution, dedication and sacrifices in shaping students' lives. He said the government treats education as investment rather than an expenditure. Around 15 per cent of Sikkim’s total expenditure during 2025-26. This is part of the government vision to develop the state as an education hub. Sikkim was also declared a fully literate state on May 27, 2026. Tamang described this as a significant milestone in its education journey.
Life Skills and a Future Ready State
The government is also working on the Sikkim Life Skills Curriculum. It will focus on practical skills such as CPR first aid fire safety and disaster preparedness.Sikkim lies in a Himalayan region with high seismic risk. The objective is to equip students to respond to emergencies and protect themselves and others. The government has continued to strengthen education through teacher recruitment regularisation and various schemes. Tamang said Sikkim has developed adequate education infrastructure. The goal is to ensure students from the state do not need to leave for quality education by 2035. Instead the state aims to attract students from across India by offering inclusive high quality and future ready education. CM SAATHI is part of this broader effort to improve access to education and create more opportunities for students from economically weaker backgrounds.
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