The Uttar Pradesh government’s “Free IAS-PCS Awasiya Coaching Scheme” will hold an entrance examination on July 5, 2026, across all divisions of the state, with 10,175 candidates appearing for the test, according to reporting from Free Press Journal and News18. The scheme, implemented through the Social Welfare Department under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is aimed at providing free coaching to poor and meritorious students from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. After the entrance exam, shortlisted candidates are admitted to residential coaching centres through a counselling process. News18 reports that 865 candidates will be selected for free residential coaching at seven centres in Uttar Pradesh. Free Press Journal adds that the residential programme begins with regular classes from August 1, 2026, and continues until May 31, 2027. It also states that selected candidates receive free accommodation, food, books, study material and guidance from experienced faculty, and that 25% of seats are reserved for candidates who qualify the preliminary examination through lateral entry.