Free official learning platforms¶
Everything here is run by the Government of India or a public institution, and costs nothing. Together they cover school textbooks, degree-level courses, practice tests, libraries and current affairs, so a full preparation is possible without paying for coaching.
Evidence status: 🟡 secondary. Every link points to the platform's own official website. The links were located by web search on 2026-09-27, and the list's daily link check re-opens them. If one breaks, open an issue with the new official link.
| Platform | Run by | What you get free | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCERT textbooks | NCERT, Ministry of Education | Every NCERT textbook, Classes 1–12, Hindi and English | The base of JEE, NEET, CUET, UPSC and state PSC general studies |
| NIOS course material | National Institute of Open Schooling | Secondary and senior-secondary study material in several languages | A second, simpler explanation of school topics |
| DIKSHA | Ministry of Education | Textbook-linked lessons, explainer videos and practice for school subjects | School-level revision in your state's language |
| NTA Abhyas | National Testing Agency | Mock tests in the real NTA interface, in Hindi and English | JEE Main and NEET practice |
| SWAYAM | Ministry of Education | University courses (Class 9 to postgraduate) with lectures, reading and assessments | Degree-level subjects: engineering, commerce, humanities, law |
| NPTEL | IITs and IISc | Complete IIT lecture courses with assignments | GATE, ESE, JE and PSU technical subjects |
| e-PG Pathshala | UGC (INFLIBNET) | Postgraduate e-content in about 70 subjects | UGC NET subject papers, optional subjects |
| National Digital Library of India | IIT Kharagpur for the Ministry of Education | Search across crores of books, lectures and question papers | Finding an official or open copy of a book or paper |
| Press Information Bureau | Government of India | Official releases from every ministry | Current affairs for UPSC, state PSC, SSC and banking |
Free coaching¶
SATHEE (IIT Kanpur), IIT-PAL lectures, the SWAYAM Prabha TV channels and the fee-paying schemes for eligible students are on free coaching.
Official previous papers and cut-offs¶
See previous-year papers: UPSC, SSC, GATE, NTA and state commission archives, plus the official JoSAA and MCC counselling data.
A free plan that uses them¶
- Build the base from textbooks. Pick your exam in the overlap map and read the shared modules it needs. For each module, start with NCERT and NIOS.
- Learn the higher-level subjects from courses. Technical and degree-level subjects come from NPTEL, SWAYAM and e-PG Pathshala, following the order on your exam's page.
- Practise on the real interface. Use NTA Abhyas for JEE Main and NEET, and the official previous papers for every exam.
- Follow current affairs from the source. Read PIB every day for exams with a general-awareness section.