Need more govt colleges, job avenues to rein in coaching culture

THE death of three young IAS aspirants in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar has turned the spotlight on glaring irregularities in the functioning of such ‘teaching shops’. These centres cater to students preparing for NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test) to get admission into undergraduate medical programmes and the exams conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) for the recruitment of officers to the All India Services and the Central Civil Services. The centres are thronged by millions of career-conscious students. Cashing in on the aspirants’ desperation, the institutes charge them exorbitant fees but fail to ensure even basic facilities, as seen in the Delhi tragedy. Most of these centres rent cheap accommodation to teach students and admit far more of them than their premises can accommodate.
The AAP government and the BJP are blaming each other for the Delhi mishap. This political blame game has drowned out the cries of the aggrieved families and the protests of the vulnerable students. There are hundreds of coaching centres in Delhi-NCR. Many of them operate under unsafe conditions. Commercially motivated, they are least bothered about the safety of the students. A handful of coaching centres operating in violation of the rules have been sealed, encroachments over drains bulldozed and a high-level probe committee set up. Arrests have been made in connection with the incident, and several protests have been held. The need of the hour, however, is to understand the problem and find long-term solutions.
In January this year, in view of the rising cases of student suicide, the Ministry of Education had issued guidelines for the regulation of coaching centres. However, as the senior secondary stage (a two-year academic phase followed uniformly across the country) covers classes XI and XII — which have students aged between 16 and 18 years — it is considered the responsibility of the states and union territories concerned. They were instructed to take necessary steps to regulate coaching centres falling under their jurisdiction in order to ensure the safety and security of students and save them from being exploited. The National Education Policy-2020 had warned against the ‘coaching culture’ and its harmful impact. It had even suggested reform in the existing system of board and entrance examinations to eliminate the need for coaching classes. It also proposed viable models of board exams that could reduce pressure and check the coaching culture. A high-quality common aptitude test and specialised common subject exams in the sciences, humanities, languages, arts and vocational subjects at least twice every year were recommended. Such exams were meant to test the conceptual understanding of the students and eliminate the need for coaching for the exams. Students could choose the subjects of their interest.
The set of guidelines issued in January made it mandatory to get prior permission to establish a coaching centre. It also laid down the norms for infrastructure, fire and building safety, medical assistance or treatment facilities, emergency services, etc. The coaching centre buildings are required to be fully electrified, well ventilated and have sufficient lighting arrangements in each classroom. These centres are also advised to involve counsellors and psychologists for providing psychotherapeutic help to students suffering from stress or depression.
In case a coaching centre violates any of the terms and conditions of registration or general requirements, it is liable for penalties — a fine of Rs 25,000 for the first offence, Rs 1 lakh for the second violation and the revocation of registration in case of subsequent breaches.
These guidelines have reportedly not been implemented. The Delhi tragedy was a result of that. It is time for the government to ensure that such centres are properly regulated. A minimum amount of space required for students must be maintained. If possible, the fees should also be regulated. All aspects of such centres must be periodically monitored and those not conforming to the guidelines must be shut down.
However, mere implementation of the guidelines will not fix the problem. The solution lies in setting up more government colleges. That would arrest the trend of a rising number of candidates vying for a limited number of seats. Although there has been an 82 per cent rise in the number of medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 706 in early 2024, it is still not enough, given the huge number of candidates and the fact that many of these institutions are grappling with faculty shortage and infrastructural issues. The rise in the number of institutions also means an increase in the teaching faculty. To address these challenges, the government should not only strengthen the infrastructure and adopt advanced technological interventions but also work to reduce the level of competition in these examinations by creating more employment avenues.
Unemployment needs to be tackled urgently. According to the India Employment Report 2024, the share of youngsters with secondary or higher education in the total unemployed youth has nearly doubled from 35.2 per cent in 2000 to 65.7 per cent in 2022. Employment opportunities have to be created, as less than 1 per cent of the students qualify for government jobs. This means that the economy has to be opened up. Government jobs are coveted because there are inadequate employment avenues in the private sector, where the lack of job security is another key factor. Incentives must be provided for the creation of private-sector jobs for aspiring candidates. Let’s hope the current crisis will prompt much-needed reforms in this sector.