HRD Ministry asks states to regulate coaching centres

New Delhi: The HRD Ministry on Tuesday has told the Supreme Court that it was for state governments to check mushrooming of "unrecognised" private coaching companies .

The apex court had in July last year sought the view of the Minsitry of Human Resource Development which filed an affidavit saying that its constitutional duty is only limited to the "co-ordination and determination of standards" in institutions of higher learning and research.

A bench, comprising Justices H L Dattu and S A Bobde, today issued a notice, more than a year after a PIL was filed by Students Federation of India (SFI), the students front of CPI(M), on mushrooming of "unrecognised" private coaching companies allegedly in violation of Right to Education (RTE) guidelines.

The bench also sought response from the CBSE and others on the plea by SFI which had sought directions to the Centre and others to regulate the functioning of "unrecognised" private coaching companies across the country in an "institutionalised" manner for preparing students for competitive entrance examination for admission in engineering and medical colleges.

In July 2013, the apex court had said it will look into the PIL on knowing the views of the Centre.

The PIL sibmitted these unregulated coaching centres were being run in violation of CBSE rules and RTE guidelines.
The PIL cited a report by Crisil that the business of the coaching industry is expected to grow by more than Rs 75,000 crore by 2014-15.

SFI submitted the private coaching centres have been allegedly coming out with misleading advertisements.

Giving its view, the Ministry said it is actually for state governments to ensure that these coaching centres are run in accordance with the law but in the past steps have been taken against those institutes which are not functioning as per norms.

The affidavit said a circular was also issued by CBSE in February 2014, banning coaching institutes from taking classes in school premises.