With coaching costs running into thousands of crores of rupees for Indian families, the government is increasingly looking at free online platforms as a way to make preparation for competitive examinations like JEE and NEET more accessible. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day 2026 address, announced free online coaching for various examinations, with the aim of reducing the financial burden of coaching on families. One platform that could play a significant role in this effort is IIT Kanpur’s SATHEE (Self-Assessment Test and Help for Entrance Exams), launched in November 2023 in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education of the Union education ministry. In this video, HT will speak to Prof Ameya Karakare, professor in charge SATHEE at IIT Kanpur to understand SATHEE’s journey so far, its reach and impact, student success stories, use of AI and technology for personalised learning, and the challenges of providing quality free coaching at scale. The interaction will also explore how SATHEE could be expanded to support the government’s renewed push for free online coaching and whether such platforms can meaningfully reduce students’ dependence on expensive private coaching.
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