New Delhi: From now on, coaching centres will not be allowed to enrol NEET aspirants below 16 years of age, make misleading promises and guarantee rank or good marks, according to new guidelines announced by the Ministry of Education (MoE).

The guidelines detailing the framework on mental wellbeing come against the backdrop of student suicides in coaching hub Kota in 2023. The rapid increase in the number of student suicides flagged various issues plaguing the coaching industry, additionally, following complaints received by the government about rising cases of student suicides, fire incidents, lack of facilities in coaching incidents as well as methodologies of teaching adopted by them.

Medical Dialogues has been extensively reporting about the rising cases of suicide by NEET aspirants over the years. In the last year itself, more than 15 incidents have been reported wherein NEET aspirants studying in Kota committed suicide under pressure to pass the MBBS entrance test.

In August last year, amid rising suicide cases among NEET students in Rajasthan's Kota, the district administration had issued directions to stop conducting routine tests and examinations at coaching centres for two months with immediate effect.

The Kota district administration, citing the need for mental support, stayed the tests and examinations for two months. "In order to provide mental support and security to the studying/residential students, the examinations, being conducted from time to time, in all coaching institutes operating in Kota, have been stayed with immediate effect for the next two months," read an official release by the district administration

Now with the recently issued MOE guidelines, the state government will be responsible for monitoring the activities of the coaching centre and enquiring about any coaching centre regarding the fulfilment of required eligibility of registration and satisfactory activities of the coaching centre.

To ensure proper monitoring of the coaching institutes, the government has proposed registration of new and existing centres within three months after the guidelines come into effect.

"No coaching centre shall engage tutors having qualifications less than graduation. The institutions cannot make misleading promises or guarantee rank or good marks to parents for enrolling students in the coaching centres. The institutes cannot enrol students below 16 years of age. Student enrolment should be only after secondary school examination," the guidelines said.

"The coaching institutes cannot publish or cause to be published or take part in the publication of any misleading advertisement relating to any claim, directly or indirectly, of quality of coaching or the facilities offered therein or the result procured by such coaching centre or the student who attended such class," it added.

The coaching centres cannot hire the services of any tutor or person who has been convicted of any offence involving moral turpitude. An institute will not be registered unless it has a counselling system as per the requirement of these guidelines.

"Coaching centres shall have a website with updated details of the qualification of tutors, courses/curriculum, duration of completion, hostel facilities, and the fees being charged," the guidelines stated.

According to new guidelines, due to tough competition and academic pressure on students, coaching centres should take steps for the mental well-being of students and may conduct classes without putting undue pressure on them.

According to the guidelines, the tuition fees for different courses and curricula being charged shall be fair and reasonable and receipts for the fee charged must be made available.

Giving teeth to the policy, the Centre has suggested that coaching centres be penalised up to Rs 1 lakh or their registration be cancelled for charging exorbitant fees that cause undue stress leading to student suicide or for other malpractices, reports PTI.

GUIDELINES FOR COACHING CENTRES:

CODE OF CONDUCT

The coaching center shall not enroll student below 16 years of age or the student enrolment should be only after secondary school examination.

Apart from options for admission in engineering and medical institutes, information about other career options may be provided to the students, so that they do not get stressed about their future and can choose a new option of alternative careers.

Coaching center shall not make public the result of assessment test conducted by it.

Coaching center should conduct periodic workshops and sensitization sessions regarding students' mental health in collaboration with mental health professionals.

CLASSES

Coaching center shall ensure weekly off for students as well as tutors. There shall be no assessment-test / exam on the day after weekly off.

During the important and popular festivals in the respective region, coaching center shall customize leave in such a manner that the students are able to connect with their family and get emotional boosting.

Coaching centers shall conduct coaching classes in a way that it is not excessive for a student and it should not be more than 5 hours in a day and the coaching hours should neither be too early in the morning nor too late in the evening

Coaching centers shall organize classes for co-curricular activities for holistic development and enhancing cognitive abilities of students. The coaching centers, while teaching core subjects should also organize counselling sessions.

The doubts of student shall be resolved by those tutors who have taught in the class so that student feel satisfied.

FEES

If the student has paid for the course in full and is leaving the course in the middle of the prescribed period, student will be refunded from out of the fees deposited earlier for the remaining period, on pro-rata basis within 10 days. If the student is staying in the hostel of the coaching center, then the hostel fees and mess fee etc. will also be refunded.

PENALTIES:

In case of violation of any of the terms and conditions of registration or general conditions, the coaching center shall be liable for penalties as follows:

1. Rs 25.000/- for first offence

2 . 1,00,000/- for the second offence

3. revocation of registration for subsequent offence.