New Delhi: States and Union Territories are stepping up regulation of private coaching centres, with several governments introducing their own rules and legislation after the Ministry of Education issued national guidelines in January 2024, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
The Centre said it circulated the Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Center to states and UTs on January 16, 2024, in response to concerns over unregulated coaching centres, high fees, safety incidents, student mental well-being and other malpractices.
The guidelines call for coaching centres to be registered and prescribe requirements covering fees, infrastructure, tutor qualifications, student records, grievance redressal and a code of conduct.
They also place emphasis on student welfare, including mental well-being and restrictions on practices such as batch segregation.
A key provision requires coaching centres to maintain websites with updated information on tutor qualifications, courses and curriculum, fees, exit and refund policies, student numbers and the number of students who secured admission to higher education institutions.
States move beyond central guidelines
The Ministry of Education said several states and UTs have since introduced their own regulatory frameworks.
These include the Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Act, 2025, the Jharkhand Coaching Centre (Control and Regulation) Act, 2025, the Assam Coaching Institutes (Control and Regulation) Act, 2025 and the Haryana Registration and Regulation of Private Coaching Institutes Act, 2024.
Guidelines or rules have also been introduced in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tripura and Nagaland, according to the ministry.
The latest additions include Andhra Pradesh Coaching Institutions (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2026, Himachal Pradesh Private Coaching Centres (Registration and Regulation) Rules, 2026, and guidelines issued by Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in 2026.
Because education is a Concurrent List subject, regulation involves both the Centre and states, with states and UTs responsible for taking further action through their own legal frameworks.
Coaching advertisements also under scrutiny
The government also highlighted action against misleading advertising by coaching institutes.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued comprehensive guidelines on November 13, 2024, prohibiting coaching centres from making false or misleading claims or engaging in deceptive and unfair practices.
The guidelines also prohibit coaching providers from using the names, photographs, testimonials or videos of successful candidates in advertisements without their written consent.
The CCPA can impose penalties on coaching institutes and direct them to discontinue misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The government said the measures are intended to improve accountability and promote ethical practices in the coaching sector.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
