Maharashtra proposes law to regulate private coaching centres, cap classes at 5 hours a day

The Maharashtra government has proposed a legislation to regulate private coaching centres in the state, making registration mandatory, capping classes at five hours a day and prescribing norms on fees, infrastructure, student safety, counselling and mental health.

The draft Maharashtra Private Coaching Centers (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2026, published by the School Education and Sports Department, seeks to bar coaching centres from enrolling children below 13 years and from making misleading promises about ranks or marks.

Besides regulating coaching centres catering to more than 25 students, the proposed law also aims to provide a mechanism for grievance redressal.

Officials in the school education department said the draft is open to objections and suggestions before it is “considered by the government in September”.

The move comes against the backdrop of the NEET paper leak and the alleged role of coaching centres.

Under the proposed law, private coaching centres will have to register and renew their registration. Existing centres would have six months from the commencement of the Act to complete registration, while registration would be valid for three years. Each branch of a coaching centre would require separate registration.

As per the draft law, coaching centres would be prohibited from enrolling children below 13 years and from making misleading promises or guarantees about ranks or marks. Tutors must be graduates, while centres would not be allowed to employ persons against whom a cognisable offence has been registered.

Coaching centres would also have to establish a counselling system and publish details of tutors, courses, fees, coaching hours, facilities, admission capacity and refund policies on their websites.

The proposed legislation seeks to keep coaching centres separate from formal educational institutions.

Centres would not be permitted to operate on the premises of recognised schools or colleges, employ teachers working in recognised schools or junior colleges, or enter into any form of integration with recognised schools.

On fees, the draft requires coaching centres to issue receipts and prohibits them from charging amounts beyond the declared course fee. The fee for a course cannot be increased during its duration. Students leaving a course midway would be entitled to a pro-rata refund for the remaining period within 10 days. Hostel and mess charges would also have to be refunded on the same basis.

The draft lays down infrastructure requirements, including a minimum of one square metre of space per student, fire and building safety certificates, adequate ventilation and lighting, potable drinking water, separate toilets for boys and girls, first-aid facilities and parking.

Coaching centres would not be permitted to operate from basements and would have to install CCTV cameras covering their premises and preserve footage for at least one month.

To reduce academic pressure, the draft says coaching classes should not exceed five hours a day and should not be held too early in the morning or too late in the evening. Centres would have to provide a weekly day off to students and tutors and avoid conducting tests or examinations on the day immediately following the weekly off.

The proposed norms also emphasise students’ mental wellbeing. Coaching centres would be required to provide counselling, promote life skills and wellness, and establish mechanisms for immediate assistance to students facing distress or stressful situations.

Trained counsellors could be appointed or hired, while information on psychologists and counsellors would have to be made available to students and parents, as per the draft.

The draft further proposes that students should be informed about the difficulty and intensity of examinations before admission and that coaching centres should make clear that enrolment does not guarantee success in competitive examinations or admission to professional courses.

It also proposes aptitude tests to assess students’ capabilities and interests and says alternative career options should be discussed rather than focusing only on engineering and medical admissions.

Batch segregation based on academic performance would not be permitted, with the draft stating that such segregation could increase pressure on students and affect their mental health.

The proposed law provides for a formal grievance redressal mechanism. Complaints relating to offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act or the law concerning sexual harassment at the workplace would require action within 24 hours, with coaching centre management required to immediately provide relevant information, including CCTV footage, to the government. Suspected offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita would have to be reported to the local police.

The draft gives inquiry officers and appellate authorities powers to inspect coaching centres, call for records and CCTV footage and, in specified circumstances, search premises and seize documents or electronic devices.

Violations could attract fines ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for minor offences and Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh for major violations. Repeated minor violations could attract a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh. Authorities could also order temporary suspension or permanent cancellation of registration or closure of a coaching centre.

The proposed Act would extend across Maharashtra and come into force on a date to be notified separately by the state government.