Coaching Centre New Rules: Only 16+ students who have passed 10th Board can enroll for coaching

No student below 16 years of age or those who are yet to complete their Class 10th Board can enroll in a coaching centres, as per the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

The guidelines also seeks to impose penalties on coaching centre for making false claims about ranks or marks in competitive exams.

“The number of unregulated private coaching centers in the country continues to grow in the absence of any laid down policy or regulation. Instances of such centers charging exorbitant fees from students, undue stress on students resulting in students committing suicides, loss of precious lives due to fire and other accidents, and many other malpractices being adopted by these centres are widely reported in the media,” the Education Ministry said.

The guidelines require coaching centres to register with the government. Existing centres must register again within three months of the implementation of the guidelines. The centres are not allowed to hire tutors who have been convicted of any offence involving moral turpitude. Additionally, each branch of a coaching institute will be treated as a separate entity.

In order to enforce compliance with the guidelines, the government has proposed penalties of up to Rs 1 lakh or cancellation of registration for coaching centres that charge excessive fees or engage in other malpractices that contribute to student stress and suicides.

To open, run or maintain a coaching centre, prior permissions must be obtained from a competent authority, and the ones that are currently running without permission have to apply for registration within the next three months, the ministry said.

Coaching centres can not engage tutors who do not have qualifications less than the graduation level or hire services of tutors who have been convicted for any “for any offence involving moral turpitude,” it said.

In a letter addressed to chief secretaries and administrators of all states and union territories (UT), the union Ministry of Education noted, “Education being the subject matter of Concurrent List and considering that regulation of +2 level education is majorly in the jurisdiction of concerned State / UT Government, hence, these Coaching Centers are best regulated by the State / UT governments by way of appropriate legal framework.

“Accordingly, ‘Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Center’ in the Country has been prepared and is being forwarded for consideration by States/UTs byway of appropriate legal framework,” it added.

Registration of coaching centers

Coaching centers must apply for registration with the local competent authority, adhering to specified forms, fees, and document requirements as set by the government.

It’s important to note that if a coaching center has multiple branches, each branch is treated as a distinct entity, requiring separate registration applications for each.

Further, no coaching centre can enroll students below 16 years of age, or engage tutors having qualifications less than graduation.

Student enrolment and Fee structure

Enrollment is restricted to students above the age of 16, and admission is permitted only after the successful completion of secondary school examinations.

Tuition fees for various courses should be reasonable and just, with detailed receipts provided. A prominently displayed comprehensive prospectus must include details about courses, duration, classes, tutorials, hostel facilities, fees, exit policies, and procedures for fee refunds.

Complaint system and exit policy for students

Complaint Mechanism should be in place for filing complaints against coaching centers by students, parents, or tutors/employees of the coaching center. Additionally, coaching centers can file complaints against students or parents.

The competent authority or an inquiry committee established by the government will resolve these complaints within thirty days.

For mid-course withdrawals, a pro-rata refund is required within 10 days. Any fee increases during the course, including both course fees and hostel-related charges, are strictly prohibited.

Basic infrastructure and limited study hours

Coaching centers should allocate a minimum of one square meter per student in each class. Compliance with fire safety and building codes, including obtaining Fire and Building Safety Certificates, is mandatory.

Adequate electrification, ventilation, lighting, and security measures are essential. The coaching center should also be equipped with CCTV cameras, a first aid kit, and access to medical assistance.

The guidelines state that class schedules should not overlap with regular school hours to ensure consistent attendance.

Both students and tutors must have mandatory weekly offs. Class sizes should be maintained to ensure a healthy teacher-student ratio.

Penalty for violations

In the event of a coaching center violating any terms or conditions of registration or general requirements, penalties will be imposed. The first offense incurs a penalty of ₹25,000, the second offense warrants a penalty of ₹1 lakh, and repeated breaches may lead to the revocation of registration.

Divyang-friendly

As per the guidelines, special provisions should be made by the coaching center to encourage greater representation of students from vulnerable communities such as female students, students with disabilities, and students from marginalized groups. The coaching center building, and the surrounding premises shall be Divyang-friendly.

Defining Coaching

Coaching means tuition, instructions or guidance in any branch of learning imparted to more than 50 students but does not include counselling, sports, dance, theatre and other creative activities, the ministry noted. Coaching center includes a center, established, run, or administered by any person to provide coaching for any study programme or competitive examinations or academic support to students at school, college, and university level, for more than 50 students.  

Why has the government issued new guidelines

The issues related to the private coaching centers more so in the context of rising student suicides cases, fire incidents, lack of facilities as well as methodologies of teaching have been engaging the attention of the Government from time to time.

The number of unregulated private coaching centers in the country continues to grow in the absence of any laid down policy or regulation. Instances of such centers charging exorbitant fees from students, undue stress on students resulting in students committing suicides, loss of precious lives due to fire and other accidents, and many other malpractices being adopted by these centres are widely reported in the media.

Considering that regulation of +2 level education is the responsibility of State / UT Governments, hence these institutions are best regulated by the State / UT governments.

A number of States / UTs have taken initiatives by way of appropriate legal framework to regulate the Private Coaching and tuition classes in their respective jurisdiction such as Bihar Coaching Institute (Control & Regulation) Act, 2010 [Bihar Act 17, 2010], Goa Coaching Classes (Regulation) Act, 2001 ( Goa Act 27 of 2001), Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Coaching Act, 2002 [UP Act no. 5 of 2002], the Karnataka Tutorial Institutions (Registration and Regulation) Rules, 2001 [framed in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 145 of the Karnataka Education Act, 1983 (Karnataka Act 1 of 1995)], Manipur Coaching Institute (Control and Regulation) Act, 2017 (Act no. 8 of 2017) etc. Rajasthan Coaching Institutes (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2023 is also in the public domain and recently guidelines for reducing Stress and improving Mental Health of Students enrolled in coaching Institutes has been issued by Govt. of Rajasthan on 27.09.2023.

While significant steps have been taken to address the issues related to Private Coaching, the number of unregulated private coaching centers necessitates the need for framing a model guidelines / policy which States / UTs can adopt for implementation by way of appropriate legal framework.

Guidelines for Registration and Regulation of Coaching Center 2024: Salient Points

Registration of the Coaching Center

(i) a person shall impart coaching or establish, run, manage or maintain a coaching center, only with prior registration of such coaching center as per the provisions of this Guidelines.

(ii) coaching centers existing on the date of implementation of the guidelines, shall apply for registration within a period of three months from the date of implementation of guidelines.

(iii) Application for the registration of coaching center shall be made to the competent authority within whose local jurisdiction such coaching center is situated, in such form, with such fees and documents as may be specified by the appropriate government.

(iv) In case of a coaching center having multiple branches, each of such branches shall be treated as a separate coaching center and it shall be necessary to submit a separate application for registration of each branch.

(v) The competent authority shall, within three months from the date of receipt of the application for registration of coaching center, either grant the registration certificate in the prescribed form, or shall communicate to the applicant his order of refusal to grant such registration after recording reasons in writing, for such refusal. Provided that no order refusing the registration shall be passed except after giving to the person concerned a reasonable opportunity of hearing.

(vi) The period of validity of the registration certificate shall be decided by the appropriate government, unless cancelled earlier for any reason.

(vii) Every registered coaching center shall apply for renewal of registration certificate to the competent authority two months prior to the date of expiry of such registration, in such form, with such fees and documents as may be specified by the appropriate government.

(viii) The competent authority may, on receipt of an application for renewal of registration in the prescribed form and on payment of the prescribed fees, shall decide on the application for renewal of registration number before the expiry of the registration period and may renew the certificate or may communicate the refusal thereof to the applicant before the expiry of the registration period, after recording the reasons for such refusal in writing. Provided that no order refusing the registration shall be passed except after giving to the person concerned a reasonable opportunity of hearing.

(ix) Appropriate Government shall create a web-portal/online mechanism to facilitate the registration of Coaching Center in faceless manner with minimum human interface.

Infrastructure Requirements

(i) Within the basic structure of the coaching center, a minimum one square meter area may be allocated for each student during a class / batch. There shall be sufficient infrastructure in proportion to the number of students enrolled.

(ii) The coaching center building shall adhere to fire safety codes, building safety codes and other standards and shall obtain a Fire and Building Safety Certificate from the appropriate authorities as decided by the appropriate government.

(iii) For the assistance of the students, the coaching center shall have a first aid kit and medical assistance/treatment facility. List of referral services like hospitals, doctors for emergency services, police helpline details, fire service helpline, women helpline etc. shall be displayed and the students shall be informed about them.

(iv) The coaching center building shall be fully electrified, well ventilated, and sufficient lighting arrangements shall be made in each classroom of the building.

(v) Safe and potable drinking water shall be available for all students and staff of the Center.

(vi) The coaching center may be suitably fitted with CCTV cameras wherever required and security shall be well maintained.

(vii) A complaint box or register may be placed at the coaching center for the students to raise a complaint. Coaching center shall have a committee for redressal of complaints / grievances of students.

(viii) Provision of separate toilets for males and females shall be made within the coaching center building premises.

Code of Conduct by the Coaching Center

(i) The number of students to be enrolled in each class/ batch may be clearly defined in the prospectus and published on the website. In no case such enrolment shall be increased in class/batch during the currency of the course.

(ii) The number of students admitted may be in line with the requirements of maintaining a healthy teacher-student ratio in each class and for creating more opportunities for building relationships with tutor and counsellors. It should be ensured that students are able to connect with the tutor and the student has easy access and visibility to the screen / blackboards.

(iii) The coaching center shall not enroll students below 16 years of age or the student enrolment should be only after secondary school examination.

(iv) The students shall be well apprised about the difficulty of exams, syllabus, level of intensity of preparation and efforts required from the student before enrolling into the curriculum.

(v) The students shall be made aware about the educational environment, cultural living, realities, and difference between preparation of school level examinations and competitive examinations.

(vi) Apart from options for admission in engineering and medical institutes, information about other career options may be provided to the students, so that they do not get stressed about their future and can choose a new option of alternative careers.

(vii) An admission or mock test to assess the capability of the student may be conducted. Based on the capability and interest of the student, the coaching center may convey the realistic expectation of the student’s capability to parents and suggest the way forward.

(viii) The students and parents shall be made aware that admission in the coaching center is no way guarantee of success for admission in institutions like medical, engineering, management, law etc. or in the competitive examination.

(ix) Coaching centers should conduct periodic workshops and sensitization sessions regarding students’ mental health in collaboration with mental health professionals.

(x) Coaching centers should create awareness amongst students and parents regarding the pedagogy, the timeline of the course, and the facilities available in the coaching center. They may be counselled about negative impacts of unnecessary mental pressure and burden of expectation on their children.

(xi) Coaching centers shall not make public the result of assessment tests conducted by it. Keeping the assessment test confidential, it should be used for regular analysis of performance of students and the student whose education performance is deteriorating, should be provided counselling as per the provisions of these guidelines.