Draft Report Recommends Law to Regulate Coaching Centres, Redesign Exams

New Delhi: A nine-member committee appointed by the Union Education Ministry has recommended a national law to regulate the coaching sector and a redesign of entrance exams to reduce dependence on private coaching. The draft report, being finalised by the committee set up in June 2025 under Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, addresses concerns over student stress, suicides in coaching hubs, dummy schools, and safety lapses at private institutes, according to sources.

The committee concluded that reliance on coaching cannot be tackled solely through inspections or penalties on misleading advertisements. The problem, it found, is deeply rooted in the design of entrance tests, weak confidence in board marks, dummy schooling, early-age exam preparation, and commercial practices of coaching centres.

The draft proposes a comprehensive regulatory framework for coaching centres, including possible legislative measures. It calls for uniform standards on transparency, accountability, and student protection. One key recommendation is to mandate full disclosure of faculty qualifications and verified enrolment-versus-success data, along with curbs on misleading advertising. The aim is to address the topper-claim model where institutes advertise ranks without clarifying whether candidates were long-term classroom students, test-series users, or only associated after results.

The committee also suggests limits on daily coaching hours for school-going students, with a specific cap of two to three hours. It recommends examining whether intensive coaching should be restricted to post-Class XII stage. Other proposals include real-time biometric attendance to tackle dummy schooling, and student well-being safeguards. The report also emphasises stronger schools, credible boards, and entrance tests aligned more closely with classroom learning.

The final report is expected to be submitted to the government in a few weeks, and these recommendations could lead to significant policy changes.