GANGTOK: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Saturday announced the launch of the CM-SAATHI initiative to provide free, high-quality coaching for JEE and NEET aspirants from poor socio-economic backgrounds.Speaking at a function on the occasion of Teachers’ Day here, he said the scheme was launched in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, under which students from poor families will be given a two-month crash course to prepare for the engineering and medical entrance tests.Tamang said that the proposal in this regard was approved by the state cabinet yesterday.“There are many students from poor backgrounds who aspire to compete for JEE and NEET, but they can’t afford the cost of proper coaching centres,” the chief minister said.Tamang, himself a former teacher before entering politics more than three decades ago, paid tribute to the teachers and appreciated their dedication, sacrifices and challenges.“Their unwavering faith in education continues to inspire us, and today’s teachers are the proud custodians of that legacy of sacrifice, service and dedication,” he said.Tamang said that his government has always treated education not as an expenditure, but as the most important investment.“With approximately 15 per cent of the state’s total expenditure invested in education during 2025-26, we remain firmly committed to our vision of making Sikkim an education hub and building a Sunaulo, Samriddha ani Saamarth (Golden, Prosperous, and Capable) Sikkim,” he said.It is a matter of great pride that Sikkim was declared a Fully Literate State on 27 May 2026, which marked an important milestone in the state’s educational journey.The CM said that his government has made continued efforts to strengthen the education system through teacher regularisation and recruitment, and various schemes.Tamang said that the state government is working towards introducing the Sikkim Life Skills Curriculum, which will equip students with practical skills such as CPR, first aid, fire safety and disaster preparedness.
Share your thoughts in the comments
Be respectful · TOI community guidelines
“As a Himalayan State situated in a high seismic-risk zone, I emphasised that disaster preparedness is not an option but a necessity. Our objective is to create a generation capable of saving not only their own lives but also the lives of others,” he said.Observing that Sikkim has developed adequate education-related infrastructure, he said that by 2035, students from Sikkim would not have to leave the state in search of quality education.“Instead, we want students from across India to come to Sikkim in search of excellent, inclusive and future-ready education,” Tamang added.