Shillong, Aug. 3: Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), one of India’s leading test preparation and educational services organisations, has expanded its presence in the North-East by opening its first coaching centre in Meghalaya at Shillong. The company also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Assam Rifles to provide scholarships and academic support to serving personnel, veterans and their families.
The announcements were made during a press conference held in Shillong on Monday.
Located at Holding No. 383, Don Bosco Square, Upland Road, opposite St. Margaret’s Higher Secondary School, Nongkynrih, Laitumkhrah, the new centre marks AESL’s first physical presence in Meghalaya and its 10th centre in the North-East.
Spread across 7,000 square feet, the facility features six classrooms with a combined capacity to accommodate more than 300 students. The centre will offer coaching programmes for NEET, IIT-JEE and other engineering and medical entrance examinations, enabling students from Meghalaya to access quality test preparation without having to relocate to other cities.
With the Shillong centre, AESL now operates ten centres across the North-East, including locations in Agartala (Tripura), Dimapur (Nagaland), Imphal (Manipur), and Guwahati, Kamrup, Nagaon, Silchar, Jorhat and Dibrugarh (Assam).
Alongside the new centre, AESL signed a long-term MoU with the Assam Rifles to strengthen educational support for personnel and their families through scholarships, fee concessions and mentoring initiatives.
Under the agreement:
Families of personnel who died in harness will receive a 100 per cent tuition fee waiver, with only registration and admission fees payable.
Gallantry awardees and personnel with more than 20 per cent disability will be eligible for a 90 per cent tuition fee waiver.
Personnel with less than 20 per cent disability will receive a 50 per cent tuition fee waiver.
Serving and retired Assam Rifles personnel, along with Assam Rifles Public School staff and students, will be entitled to up to 30 per cent concession on tuition fees.
AESL said similar agreements have previously been signed with the Indian Army, CRPF, BSF and ITBP.
Speaking at the event, Chandra Sekhar Garissa Reddy, Managing Director and CEO of Aakash Educational Services Limited, said the Shillong centre represents an important step in making quality entrance exam coaching more accessible to students in Meghalaya.
“The inauguration of our first centre in Meghalaya marks a significant milestone in ensuring that quality test preparation becomes easily available for the students of the region. At Aakash, we believe in promoting student-centric education by bringing quality learning closer to students wherever they are. With our centre in Shillong, students no longer need to travel outside the state to access world-class coaching,” he said.
Referring to the MoU with Assam Rifles, Reddy said the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to supporting defence families.
“Those who serve the nation deserve every possible opportunity for their families to grow and succeed. Through this collaboration, we hope to make quality academic support more accessible to defence families and contribute in a meaningful way to their educational aspirations,” he added.
In addition to financial assistance, AESL will also provide career seminars, dedicated academic counselling and query resolution support, along with fee protection for students transferred within the North-East due to official postings, ensuring continuity in their education.
