Pune: Parents and students want an independent assessment of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute’s (BARTI) JEE-NEET coaching scheme, after only 176 of 900 students selected for its first 2023 to 2025 batch qualified in the examinations, putting the overall success rate at just 19.5%.The scheme provides coaching to students from disadvantaged communities to help them prepare for competitive medical and engineering entrance examinations. With more than Rs 24 crore spent on the programme, students and parents have questioned the quality of training and selection of private coaching institutes.Of the 900 students selected from seven divisions across Maharashtra, only 357 appeared for the examinations, while 176 qualified. Students said the gap between the number selected and those who eventually appeared for the examinations also needs to be examined as part of any assessment of the scheme.The first batch’s results have therefore brought the focus back on how the scheme measures success. Students and parents said future assessments should look beyond the number of beneficiaries enrolled and examine attendance, completion of training, examination participation, qualification rates and the performance of individual coaching centres.Student Manish Kamble said, “The performance of the private coaching institutes appointed under the scheme is questionable. Institutes had showcased strong success records during the tender process but failed to deliver comparable results for BARTI beneficiaries.”Vinesh Jadhav, another student, said, “During the tender process, several coaching institutes showcase claims of thousands of successful students to secure centres. However, when the actual results of BARTI students are examined, none of the institutes has crossed a 40% success rate. An affiliated coaching centre in Mumbai recorded a zero per cent result, while another in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded only 1.61%.”They demanded that contracts of these coaching institutes be reviewed and institutes with a proven record of quality results be selected through a transparent process.Kuldeep Ambekar, founder of Student Helping Hands, said the expenditure needed to be assessed against the actual outcomes for students.“More than Rs 24 crore has been spent on BARTI’s JEE NEET coaching scheme, but the success rate is only 19%. This is extremely disturbing. Some institutes have recorded zero success. The entire scheme should be independently evaluated and strict action should be taken against institutes that have performed poorly,” he said.Parent Ramesh Khandare said BARTI’s objective should remain focused on improving students’ educational opportunities.“BARTI’s objective is to build the future of students, but these coaching institutes appear to have turned the scheme into a means of making money. There should be a thorough inquiry and an independent evaluation by a third party. Institutes responsible for harming students’ interests should be blacklisted immediately,” he said.BARTI’s director general Deepa Mudhol Munde said, “We are focusing on bringing maximum transparency into the new tender process and will introduce stringent conditions and strict criteria. In future, only eligible and quality coaching institutes that have achieved a success rate of at least 20 to 30% will be entrusted with training BARTI students.”
