The Delhi government has announced a free one-year residential coaching opportunity for Class 12 Science students preparing for the JEE and NEET entrance examinations. The scholarship is being offered in partnership with Pune-based non-profit organisation Dakshana and is aimed at students studying in government, government-aided and other eligible public schools.
Selected students will receive free coaching, along with accommodation and food, for one year at the Dakshana Valley Campus near Pune after completing Class 12.
Students will be selected through the Joint Dakshana Selection Test (JDST) 2027. The test is tentatively scheduled to be conducted in December 2026.
JDST 2027: What students will get
The Dakshana One-Year Scholarship covers the major expenses associated with residential coaching.
Selected students will receive:
Free JEE or NEET coaching for one year
Free accommodation
Free food
Residential academic support at the Dakshana Valley Campus near Pune
The programme is intended for students who are currently studying in Class 12 Science during the 2026-27 academic year and meet the prescribed academic and family-income criteria.
JDST 2027 eligibility criteria
Students must meet all three eligibility conditions to apply.
1. School Requirement
Applicants must currently be studying in Class 12 Science in a government, government-aided or eligible public school during the 2026-27 academic year.
Students must also have appeared for their Class 12 board examination by May 2027.
The application is not meant for students studying in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) and Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) under the general government/aided/public school route.
2. Class 10 Merit Requirement
Students must have scored above the prescribed cut-off in the aggregate of Mathematics and Science in Class 10.
For Engineering – Male candidates, the cut-offs are:
General: 85%
EWS/OBC: 80%
SC: 70%
ST: 65%
PD: 55%
For Engineering – Female candidates:
General: 80%
EWS/OBC: 75%
SC: 65%
ST: 60%
PD: 50%
For Medical aspirants:
General: 80%
EWS/OBC: 75%
SC: 65%
ST: 60%
PD: 50%
3. Family Income
The scholarship also has a family-income criterion.
The information provided for JDST 2027 specifies an annual family income limit of up to ₹3 lakh for male candidates and up to ₹5 lakh for female candidates.
Students should carefully check the applicable income condition before submitting the application.
How to apply for JDST 2027
Eligible students can submit their scholarship application online.
The application process is:
Visit the official Dakshana website.
Open the JDST 2027 section.
Click on the link to fill out the application form.
Enter the required personal, academic and other details.
Upload the required documents, including the photograph and marksheet.
Make sure each uploaded document is less than 200 KB.
Submit the application form.
Download or save a copy of the submitted application for future reference.
Students should carefully read the instructions before completing the form.
JDST 2027 Selection Process
The selection is not based only on the initial application. Students will go through multiple stages before the final scholarship is offered.
For eligible government/aided/public school students, the process is as follows:
Step 1: Check eligibility and submit the JDST application.
Step 2: Students will be shortlisted based on the cut-off and details provided in the application.
Step 3: Shortlisted students will be required to fill out the Dakshana Scholar Application (DSA).
Step 4: Students who are invited after the first round can take a mock test. The mock test is intended to familiarise them with the online test interface.
Step 5: Invited students will have to bring their mobile phones and take the JDST online at the assigned examination centre.
Step 6: Students shortlisted after JDST 2027 will be called for an interview and document verification.
Step 7: Students who clear the interview and verification process will be offered the Dakshana One-Year Scholarship, covering free JEE/NEET coaching, food and accommodation at the Dakshana Valley Campus near Pune.
JDST 2027 Exam Pattern
The JDST/mock test will consist of multiple-choice questions.
For engineering aspirants, the test will cover Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Logical Reasoning.
For medical aspirants, Mathematics will be replaced by Biology.
The paper will have:
Physics: 25 questions
Chemistry: 25 questions
Mathematics: 25 questions for engineering aspirants
Biology: 50 questions for medical aspirants
Logical Reasoning: 25 questions
Candidates will receive 5 marks for every correct answer, while 2 marks will be deducted for every incorrect response. No marks will be awarded or deducted for questions left unanswered.
JDST 2027 test through Mobile app
The online mock test and JDST will be conducted through the Dakshana Scholarship Test Android mobile application.
Invited students will need to submit the Dakshana Scholar Application before they can access the mock test through the app.
Students are advised to read the instructions carefully and familiarise themselves with the test interface before appearing for the actual examination.
The opportunity could be particularly useful for students who want residential coaching for competitive examinations but may not be in a position to bear the cost of private coaching and accommodation.
Students and parents should check the official Dakshana website regularly for the final JDST 2027 schedule, shortlist and further instructions.
