Velim MLA Cruz Silva has sought to highlight a demand he raised in the Goa Legislative Assembly in 2023 — providing affordable or free coaching support for students preparing for national entrance examinations such as JEE and NEET.
Sharing a video on social media, Silva said he had identified the need in 2023, when the State’s decision to replace GCET with JEE Main for engineering admissions raised concerns over unequal access to coaching.
“I saw the need in 2023. I raised the demand for free JEE and NEET coaching for students who could not afford expensive private coaching,” Silva said.
He said that in 2026, the Centre was moving towards making such support a reality.
The issue was raised in the Goa Legislative Assembly on August 10, 2023, when Silva, along with other opposition MLAs, questioned the impact of replacing GCET with JEE Main. The Assembly record noted concerns that the JEE level was not aligned with the Goa Board curriculum and that the change could lead to a rise in expensive coaching classes, potentially disadvantaging poorer students.
At the time, Silva argued that students from financially weaker families could be left behind because they could not afford private coaching. The concern was also reported in the media, with the opposition warning that the change could create a gap between students who could afford coaching and those who could not.
Silva’s latest post seeks to draw a distinction between political issues raised for immediate attention and issues pursued because of their long-term importance to students.
“Some issues are raised because they are politically convenient. Others are raised because they are genuinely needed. I chose to raise it when it mattered,” he said.
The episode also underscores the larger question of equal access to competitive-exam preparation, particularly for students from rural and economically weaker backgrounds.
For Silva, the message is clear, the demand was raised in 2023, and the push for government-backed support is now moving closer to implementation in 2026.
