In September 2025, Rajasthan took a significant step toward regulating its booming coaching sector by passing the Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2025. The legislation sets out clear standards for coaching institutes, ensures transparency in fees, and emphasises the mental well-being of students. This move represents one of the first attempts by any state to curb the sprawling, often unregulated, coaching industry that has come to dominate India’s educational landscape.
What the Bill Covers
The law introduces several key provisions designed to protect students while maintaining a fair environment for coaching centres:
- Mandatory Registration and Minimum Standards: Every coaching centre must register within three months. They are required to maintain a minimum level of infrastructure and hire qualified tutors. These steps aim to ensure that students receive quality education in safe, professional environments.
- Fee Regulation and Ethical Advertising: Misleading claims, such as “guaranteed ranks,” are prohibited. Coaching centres must also maintain transparent fee structures, making it clear to parents and students exactly what they are paying for.
- Grievance Redress and Oversight: District-level authorities, including the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, and medical officials, will oversee compliance and address complaints. This creates an official accountability mechanism for students and parents.
- Mental Health and Holistic Support: Centres are now required to provide counselling, psychological support, and career guidance. This recognizes that education is not just about marks but also about emotional and mental well-being.
Why This Matters
The regulation comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over student stress, burnout, and even suicides linked to the intense pressures of coaching. For decades, coaching institutes have prioritized profit over pedagogy, often promising unrealistic results while ignoring student welfare. Despite the industry’s enormous influence on educational outcomes, it has remained largely unregulated, creating an urgent need for government oversight.
Potential Benefits
If implemented effectively, the new law could bring substantial benefits:
- Student Welfare: By mandating safe and supportive environments, the risk of mental health issues among students could be significantly reduced.
- Quality Standards: Minimum infrastructure and teacher qualifications may improve the overall quality of coaching, curbing exploitative practices.
- Equity and Fairness: Regulation could make coaching services more accessible and reduce predatory behavior that often targets vulnerable students.
- Policy Precedent: A successful implementation in Rajasthan may encourage other states to introduce similar frameworks, gradually bringing order to a chaotic sector.
Challenges Ahead
Despite its promise, the bill faces several hurdles:
- Capacity for Implementation: District authorities may struggle to monitor hundreds of coaching centres due to limited manpower or expertise.
- Resistance from Businesses: Coaching centres may try to evade rules or operate informally, undermining the law’s effectiveness.
- Risk of Overregulation: Excessive inspections and bureaucratic hurdles could stifle innovation and make operations unnecessarily cumbersome.
- Curriculum Oversight: Coaching institutes often supplement school education in diverse ways, and defining the boundaries of regulation could be complex.
Moving Forward
For the law to succeed, careful planning and flexibility are essential:
- Phased Enforcement: Piloting the regulations in districts with a high concentration of coaching centres can help refine the process before a statewide rollout.
- Capacity Building: Officials must be trained, and technology such as digital monitoring dashboards should be deployed to track compliance efficiently.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Regular feedback from students, parents, and education experts can help authorities adapt policies to ground realities.
- Integration with Schools: Encouraging coaching centres to align with school curricula and reduce redundancy can make learning more effective and less stressful.
Rajasthan’s coaching regulation bill is a bold and timely initiative, attempting to strike a delicate balance between educational enterprise and student welfare. Its success will depend on sensitive, flexible implementation and vigilant oversight. If it works, it could reshape how India manages its vast and influential coaching ecosystem, ensuring that students’ well-being is placed at the heart of educational growth.
Also Read: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/centre-57-new-kendriya-vidyalayas-10282449
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