Cong criticises Rajasthan govt for dropping age limit in bill to regulate coaching centres

Jaipur, March 20 (PTI) The opposition Congress has criticised the Rajasthan government for removing the minimum age requirement of 16 years for students and easing several compliance measures in the bill tabled in the state Assembly on Wednesday to control and regulate the coaching centres in the state.
     The Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2025, introduced by Higher Education Minister Prem Chand Bairwa, assumes significance in view of suicide cases that have happened mostly in Kota, a hub of coaching centres offering courses for entrance in prestigious medical and engineering colleges across the country.
     The bill, scheduled to be discussed in the Assembly on Friday, relaxes key provisions from the Centre's stricter guidelines issued in January 2024.
     Unlike the Centre's guidelines, Rajasthan has removed the 16-year age limit for students enrolling in coaching institutes, according to the bill.
     The opposition Congress has blamed the BJP government for putting a heavy burden of stress on children by removing the minimum age criterion for taking coaching classes.
     The bill makes the aptitude test of the students voluntary, whereas earlier drafts had proposed it to be mandatory.
     Fine for coaching centres violating rules has been significantly increased. The first offence will now attract a Rs 2 lakh penalty, up from Rs 25,000 in the 2024 draft. Repeat violation will lead to a Rs 5 lakh fine which earlier was Rs 1 lakh.
     Misleading advertisements will also be prohibited, according to the bill.
     The coaching institutes had strongly opposed the Union government's 2024 guidelines, blaming them for a 30-40 per cent drop in enrolments and heavy revenue losses last year.
     However, a leading coaching institution has welcomed the initiative.
     "We welcome initiatives that contribute to a structured and supportive learning environment for students. The Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2025 is a step in that direction, reinforcing transparency, fair practices and mental health support within the coaching ecosystem," said Dr Naveen Maheshwari, director, ALLEN Career Institute.
     Another coaching institute operator wishing anonymity said Kota alone has seen a drop in the number of students last year, leading to losses worth hundreds of crores. The impact extended beyond coaching centres to hostels, transport businesses and even real estate, he added.
     Defending the bill, Higher Education Minister Bairwa told reporters on Wednesday that it aims to control and regulate the coaching centres. The bill proposes to form a committee to regulate coaching centres at the district level and a state-level committee in which registration of coaching centres is mandatory.
     He said a penalty provision has been made in the bill in case of irregularities.
     He, however, said though strict provisions have been made in the bill, the government will try to include the suggestions and rectify the shortcomings.
     Criticising the age removal criteria for admission in coaching centres, Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully said, "Our government had tried to stop child suicides. A committee was formed and a tour was also conducted.
     "Now this government has again come up with a bill. There was a provision in our draft to ban children up to 16 years of age from taking coaching. But now the government is preparing to exempt it again and put a heavy burden of stress on children who have not even become adults," the Congress leader said.
     He said the Centre itself has recommended admission in Class 1 at the age of five to six years but the double-engine Rajasthan government is talking about starting coaching for children up to 16 years.
     "Perhaps the government does not want to bring a strong bill. We would like our points and suggestions to be added to it," Jully said.
     The bill introduces new regulatory mechanisms. A 12-member state authority will be set up to monitor coaching institutes, conduct inspections and issue summonses with civil court-like powers.
     The coaching centres will have to publicly disclose details about their faculty, infrastructure and ownership to ensure transparency.
     Given the high-pressure environment in coaching hubs, institutes will have to appoint mental health counsellors, psychologists and career advisers. Teachers will also undergo mental resilience training.
     The bill proposes refunds if a student drops out mid-term from coaching centres, hostels and caterers within 10 days.
     Despite the new rules, the state government has dropped several provisions from the Centre's guidelines. The bill does not talk about disabled-friendly infrastructure, such as Braille study materials, e-readers or accessible toilets, according to industry experts.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)