Centre Tightens Regulation of Coaching Centres; Several States Enact Rules
New Delhi, August 13, 2026: In view of the growing number of unregulated private coaching centres, instances of excessive fees being charged from students, loss of precious lives due to fires and other accidents, and concerns related to students’ mental health, the Ministry of Education has issued guidelines for regulating coaching centres across the country.
The Ministry circulated the Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centres to States and Union Territories on January 16, 2024, with the objective of facilitating an appropriate legal framework for regulating coaching centres and taking further action at the state and UT levels.
Guidelines Cover Registration, Fees and Infrastructure
The guidelines lay down provisions relating to registration requirements, necessary documents, fees, infrastructure facilities, code of conduct, mental health support, maintenance of records and grievance redressal mechanisms.
They also emphasise that coaching centres should not discriminate among students or adopt practices that unfairly classify batches.
Coaching Centres Required to Maintain Transparent Websites
Under the guidelines, coaching centres are required to have a website containing updated information about the qualifications of teachers, details and duration of courses/curricula, fees charged, easy exit and fee-refund policies.
The website should also provide information on the number of students enrolled in the coaching centre and the number of students who ultimately succeeded in securing admission to higher educational institutions.
Several States Have Introduced Their Own Regulations
Education is a subject in the Concurrent List, and both the Central and State Governments work together to ensure equitable access to education.
Following the issuance of the Central guidelines, several States and Union Territories have introduced their own laws, rules or guidelines to regulate private coaching and tuition centres.
These include the Jharkhand Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Act, 2025, Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Act, 2025, Assam Coaching Institutes (Control and Regulation) Act, 2025, Haryana Private Coaching Institutes Registration and Regulation Act, 2024, as well as regulations introduced by Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Nagaland.
The Union Territories of Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have also issued policies and guidelines for the registration, control and regulation of coaching centres.
CCPA Acts Against Misleading Advertisements
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has also issued comprehensive guidelines on November 13, 2024, under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, to address misleading advertisements in the coaching sector.
The guidelines prohibit coaching centres from making false or misleading claims in advertisements or adopting misleading or unfair trade practices.
They also provide that no person associated with a coaching centre can use the name, photograph, testimonial or video of a successful candidate in an advertisement without the candidate’s written consent.
The guidelines further regulate unfair contracts and provide for stringent penalties under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, aimed at ensuring accountability and ethical practices in the coaching sector.
The CCPA has been taking action against coaching institutes by imposing penalties and directing them to discontinue misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Education Dr. Sukanta Majumdar in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
