Congress seeks comprehensive policy on coaching institutes

India needs a comprehensive policy solution to the mushrooming of coaching institutes, the Congress said on Saturday, 2 August, and called for a revision of syllabi, more resources for all exam-takers and investments in the quality of education.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said data provided by the Department of Higher Education to the Rajya Sabha shows that GST collections from coaching institutes have risen rapidly between 2019 and 2024, from Rs 2,241 crore to Rs 5,517 crore.

This represents an astonishing 146-per cent rise in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections, some part of which may be attributable to better enforcement, but it also likely comes from the growing market size, he said.

"Worryingly, the GST collections of Rs 5,517 crore in FY24, collected at a rate of 18 per cent, suggests a market of Rs 30,653 crore for coaching institutes annually. This is an extremely worrying figure, since it corresponds to about two-thirds of the Union Budget's allocation for higher education in FY24," Ramesh said in a post on X.

GST figures are likely underestimating the market for coaching institutes, which is notorious for its poor regulation, the Congress leader added.

"India needs a comprehensive policy solution to this mushrooming of coaching institutes -- syllabi need to be revised, and brought in line with school curriculum, more resources need to be made available for all exam-takers, and investments must be made in the quality of education," he said.

His remarks came amid a focus on coaching institutes following the death of three civil service aspirants after the basement of such an institute in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area was flooded due to rains.

Ramesh also posted on X a written answer on coaching institutes given by minister of state in the Education Ministry Sukanta Mazumdar in Parliament last week, in which he said keeping in view the growth in the number of unregulated private coaching centres in the country in the absence of any laid-down policy or regulation, the ministry has circulated the Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centre among the states and Union territories on 16 January for consideration by way of an appropriate legal framework.

Education being on the concurrent list, the states and Union territories need to take further action by way of an appropriate legal framework, Mazumdar said.