Maharashtra coaching institutes seek balanced regulations

Mumbai: As the state govt moves to frame fresh regulations for coaching classes, the Maharashtra Class Owners’ Association (MCOA) has requested the state to avoid heavy-handed oversight and instead adopt a balanced, consultative approach.In a statement issued on Monday, the association clarified that it is not opposed to regulation but warned against reviving what it termed an “Inspector Raj” regime that could lead to bureaucratic overreach and threaten the viability of independent coaching institutes. The MCOA pointed to a long legal history around the issue, noting that similar attempts in 2000 and 2017 were either struck down by courts or abandoned for being “unreasonable and unjust”.“Central to our concerns are provisions in earlier drafts that sought to impose fee caps and additional tax burdens, measures the association argues fall outside the state’s jurisdiction. Regulation must be fair and within constitutional limits,” said Narendra Bambwani of MCOA.The MCOA also pushed back against what it described as the “scapegoating” of coaching classes in systemic issues such as paper leaks. It argued that such breaches typically stem from compromised institutional or administrative actors, not private institutes.At the same time, the association called for stricter action against “parallel teaching”, where school and college faculty allegedly engage in private tuitions. It also flagged concerns over “integrated coaching” models, where colleges partner with coaching centres, a practice it has previously challenged in court. The state govt said it had prepared a draft to regulate coaching academies and would present the same in the monsoon session.Maharashtra’s draft bill seeks to regulate private coaching classes through mandatory registration, fee transparency, infrastructure standards and student safety norms, following the NEET paper leak controversy. It mandates disclosures, CCTV surveillance, bans school teachers from working in coaching centres, and prohibits misleading advertisements, while requiring institutes to provide basic facilities and mental health support. Although fees are not capped, institutes must publicly declare fair pricing and ensure accountability through grievance redressal mechanisms.Emphasising the need for stakeholder consultation, the MCOA urged the govt to include industry representatives in the policy drafting process, framing coaching classes as a complementary pillar to formal education rather than an adversary.