India has become home to one of the largest coaching industries of the world, with a total revenue of INR 60,000 crore, which is expected to reach 1.5 lakh crore by 2030. The industry is fuelled by intense academic competition, the desire for success in professional courses like Civil Service (IAS), Engineering (IITs), Medical (AIIMS), and Management (IIMs), and the perceived need for an edge in entrance exams. People appear in the entrance exams in lakhs, and the selection ratios are 1-5%. Naturally, the mental pressure to succeed is very high, and many students commit suicide, unable to take the pressure. And coaching centres increase the pressure by favourably treating better-performing students. Students from topper batches are given extra incentives such as a class by a senior teacher, extra reading matter, extra classes, individual doubt-clearing session, fee reduction, etc. The bias is open and there are no psychological counsellors to help weak students improve by giving extra efforts. Every
1 hour, 1 student commits suicide in India, the situation is pathetic, and Mental Health of
Coaching Centre Attendees is a big concern area. The Central Government, through the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), has issued guidelines to regulate the coaching industry, focusing on preventing misleading advertisements and ensuring fair practices. Several State Governments have initiated regulations for coaching firms. This is to curb the second big problem, which is Information Gaps which are associated with Coaching Centres, which usually promise more than they deliver and some of the promises are verbal. Refund of fees is a big problem, if a student wants to change to another Centre. Students have to be very careful about signing the contract with a Centre, as without understanding legal implications, they may give consent to a force majeure clause, drafted cleverly and later suffer for it. Another big problem is emergence of Dummy Schools, which undermine the true purpose of schooling. Students are enrolled in Dummy Schools for namesake, while their actual study is in the Coaching Centres only. So when whole of school life is around one exam only, then failure in that has a huge cost, making the exam a life and death situation. This is an intellectual epidemic which has to be stopped. Ironically, all students want coaching in some form or the other and prefer a regulated Coaching Industry. This makes us wonder, are normal Schools, Colleges, and Universities teaching in a way that assistance is a must? Placed for your thoughts