Restricts enrolment of students below 16 years

New Delhi: The Ministry of Education, Government of India, announced new guidelines for the coaching centres restricting the enrolment of students below 16 years.

The guidelines is said to be part of the government’s efforts to establish a legal framework to control the growth of private coaching centres. Regulations have also been framed following several complaints received by the Government with respect to increasing in number of students’ suicide, fire accidents and lack  of infrastructure. 

The new guidelines prohibits the coaching centres from making promises and guaranteeing ranks or good marks. It also stipulates that if any coaching centre, breaches the terms and conditions mentioned in the new guidelines, would be penalised with Rs. 25,000 for the first violation, Rs. One lakh for the second violation and revocation of the registration for subsequent breaches. It also compels the coaching centres to have a website with updated details of the qualifications of the tutors, curriculum/courses, completion duration, hostel facilities and fees being charged with a provision of refund if the students quitting the course in the mid-period.

The centres have been instructed to provide names of psychologists, counsellors and their time of availability to students and parents. The State Governments will be responsible for monitoring the coaching centre activities and verification.

The new guidelines is made available online by Ministry of Education, GOI. For details, click on https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/Guideliens_Coaching_Centres_en.pdf