Delhi govt. to restart free coaching scheme for SC, ST, OBC students, says Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal announces revival of education and emergency assistance schemes in Delhi, facing potential hurdles from Lieutenant-Governor.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday (October 18, 2024) announced that the Delhi government had decided to restart the ‘Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana’ and the ‘Dilli Ke Farishtey’ scheme.

However, the decision may face a hurdle as its implementation will be subject to the approval of Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena, with whom AAP has had several run-ins in the past.

While the former initiative, which became dysfunctional two years ago, provides free coaching for various competitive exams for students from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the latter rewards people who offer immediate assistance to road accident victims within the ‘golden hour’ and provides cashless treatment at the nearest private hospital.

Mr. Kejriwal said the free coaching scheme was stopped “deliberately” after he went to jail.

The AAP chief was sent to judicial custody in April in connection with a money laundering case pertaining to the now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.

“There were some issues [in the implementation of the scheme] due to the pandemic. But the scheme was completely stopped [by the BJP] after I went to jail,” Mr. Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters.

In response, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva alleged that the former CM was “falsely accusing” the principal Opposition party in the Capital out of “frustration and constant electoral losses”. Mr. Sachdeva said the AAP chief levelled the allegations as he has been “facing a string of failures and growing anti-incumbency” ahead of the Assembly election next year.