A door that once felt permanently shut is now being opened — Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday, October 16, 2026, announced the launch of free civil services coaching for candidates with disabilities, framing it as a cornerstone of his government's push to make differently-abled citizens truly self-reliant.

In his post, CM Dhami wrote: 'हमारी सरकार दिव्यांगजनों को आत्मनिर्भर बनाने और उनके सपनों को नई उड़ान देने के लिए निरंतर प्रयासरत है' — ('Our government is continuously working to make persons with disabilities self-reliant and give new flight to their dreams'). The free coaching initiative, he said, would provide equal opportunities and 'pave the way for a brighter future' for divyang aspirants.

What the free coaching scheme means for divyang aspirants

Civil services examinations — conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and state public service commissions — are among the most competitive and preparation-intensive tests in India. Quality coaching, often costing anywhere from ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh or more, has long been a barrier that disadvantages candidates from economically weaker sections. For persons with disabilities, that barrier is compounded by accessibility gaps at private coaching institutes.

By making this coaching free for divyang candidates, the Uttarakhand government removes the financial hurdle at the very first step of a long preparation journey. The initiative directly targets a demographic that is constitutionally protected under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which mandates reservation and equal opportunity in government employment.

Uttarakhand's broader push for divyang inclusion

The announcement fits within a wider national rhetoric of 'Divyang' — the term popularised at the federal level to reframe disability not as limitation but as a different kind of ability. Chief Minister Dhami has positioned this scheme as consistent with the state's self-reliance agenda, using the language of aspiration — 'new flight for their dreams' — rather than welfare dependency.

Uttarakhand, a state where a significant share of government jobs are filled through competitive examinations, stands to see direct impact if this pipeline produces more divyang civil servants in the years ahead. The symbolism is pointed: a state government investing in the pipeline, not just the reservation at the end of it.

The real measure of this initiative will come in its implementation — how many candidates it reaches, how accessible the coaching infrastructure actually is, and whether it translates into selections. But as a policy signal, it is an unambiguous step forward.