Fine over high fee, 16 years age limit: New coaching centre norms explained

On Thursday, the Centre said that the private coaching centres could not enrol students under 16 and instructed them to refrain from putting up misleading advertisements about guaranteed ranks and good marks.

The detailed guidelines issued by the education ministry also instructed the for-profit coaching institutes to charge fair and reasonable tuition fees or face a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh or have their registration cancelled.

Why has the government issued new norms for coaching centres

The development follows amid increasing cases of suicides by students in Rajasthan's Kota and elsewhere, stemming from a mental-health epidemic due to study pressure and other related stress among students.

Notably, as many as 26 students died by suicide in 2023 in Kota, India's leading coaching hub, with over 225,000 JEE and NEET aspirants situated there. In 2022, 15 students died by suicide in Kota.

The National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) latest annual report noted that a total of 13,044 students took their lives in India in 2022. The mental health experts attributed the numbers to peer pressure, academic stress, and inadequate resources, among other factors.

The ministry's guidelines are a step toward building a legal framework and managing the unregulated growth of private coaching centres.

New guidelines for admitting teachers and students

According to the ministry's guidelines, coaching centres cannot engage tutors with qualifications less than graduation. While students below the age of 16 years cannot be admitted to these institutions, the guidelines also specify to enrol the students only after the secondary school examination.

Crackdown on misleading advertisements

The guidelines also said, "The institutions cannot make misleading promises or guarantee rank or good marks to parents for enrolling students in the coaching centres."

It further stated that "The coaching institutes cannot publish or cause to be published or take part in the publication of any misleading advertisement relating to any claim, directly or indirectly, of quality of coaching or the facilities offered therein or the result procured by such coaching centre or the student who attended such class."

Rs 1 lakh penalty for charging exorbitant fees, strict refund rules

The coaching centres have been instructed to update their websites regularly with the details of the qualifications of tutors, courses and curriculum, fee rates, and other necessary information.

Additionally, the guidelines maintained that coaching centres will attract a fine of Rs 1 lakh or registration cancelled if they charge "exorbitant" fees for their courses.

Moreover, provisions have been introduced for refund and compensation in the event any student leaves the course in the middle of its duration. "If the student has paid for the course in full and is leaving the course in the middle of the prescribed period, a student will be refunded from out of the fees deposited earlier for the remaining period on a pro-rata basis within 10 days," the guidelines stated.

The coaching centres are also prohibited from increasing the fee of a particular course while its duration is still on. "Under no circumstances, the fee based on which enrolment has been made for a particular course and duration shall be increased during the currency of the course," it said.

Steps for the mental well-being of students

The guidelines mandated provisions for the proper counselling system and sensitisation of tutors at the coaching centres. "Information about the names of psychologists, counsellors and the time they render services may be given to all students and parents. Trained counsellors could be appointed in the coaching centre to facilitate effective guidance and counselling for students and parents," the guidelines stated.

(With PTI inputs)