In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Odisha’s Kalahandi district has launched Mission Akankhya, a program to provide free civil services coaching to aspiring candidates in partnership with New Delhi–based Vision IAS. The move aims to level the playing field for students from one of the state’s most underserved regions.

Under the scheme, 60 aspirants will be selected each year through a written test and interview, with the first batch beginning classes in October. The training, offered in both classroom and online modes, will be conducted by faculty from Vision IAS, a leading civil services coaching institute. While the Kalahandi administration will provide infrastructure, the institute will deliver structured guidance and study support.

Registrations open on August 22, with the selection test scheduled for September 21. Shortlisted students will undergo training in Bhawanipatna, ensuring accessibility across the district.

A first for Odisha’s aspirational district

The initiative marks the first formal coaching programme of its kind in Odisha’s Kalahandi, a district listed under NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Programme. Officials said the scheme could prove transformative, offering opportunities to students who previously lacked access to quality coaching facilities.

Vision IAS has rolled out similar partnerships in aspirational districts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Debate over coaching culture

The launch also comes amid a national debate on India’s growing coaching culture. At a recent convocation of IIIT Kota, former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar cautioned against the “mushrooming” of coaching centres, calling them “poaching centres” and a “black hole for talent.”

“They robotise our students, making their thinking absolutely stifled,” Dhankhar said, urging society to restore balance in education. He reminded students that marks and grades are not the ultimate measure of success: “When you leap into the competitive world, your knowledge and thinking mind will define you.”

Despite such concerns, officials in Kalahandi maintain that Mission Akankhya is a step towards empowerment, designed to bridge glaring gaps in access rather than fuel commercial coaching culture.