Karnataka Bans Students Under 15 from Private Coaching Centers

In a power-move to monitor excessive stress on minors, the Karnataka Government has barred children under 15 years from private coaching centers. The proposed Karnataka Tutorial Institutions (Registration and Regulation) Rules 2026 was initiated by the higher education department to prevent academic stress, misleading advertisements and non-refundable fee scams. Many students spend most of their time at coaching centers by joining dummy pre-university (PU) colleges that require minimal attendance. The draft aims to prevent stress, exhaustion and mental pressure in students and save parents from financial scams.

The draft guidelines clearly states that students who have not completed their secondary school exams (class 10) cannot be given admission in such centers. Now daily coaching sessions will have to operate within five hours, including doubt clearing, revision and tests. Coaching centers have also been warned against conducting classes during school or college hours to prevent absence in the actual school . The draft also mandates mental health counsellors, regular workshops and sessions to sensitize parents and students. Unregistered centers operating within six months will be immediately sealed.

Read More: How Academic Pressure and Grades Affect Students’ Self-Worth

Important Clarification in The Draft

The Karnataka Tutorial Institutions Draft defines a coaching center as a center established, run or administered by any individual who wishes to conduct coaching for study programs, academic support or competitive exams for more than 20 students. A tutorial refers to  a place that provides academic support and acts as a personal learning environment that supplement’s mainstream education. Such spaces will have a focus on exam preparation, clarification and the individual progress of students. This includes coaching centers, tutorials or tuition class, trust or society or any such establishment. Both carry the same significance in the draft.

What The Draft Says

Teachers will be given adequate training on mental health awareness and are required to be sensitive and attentive to student performance. The centers cannot hire any teacher who has been convicted of a crime. Tutors are also expected to provide information about other career options besides engineering and medicine. This is to avoid students from stressing about limited career placements and encourage them to explore other avenues. Coaching centers have been warned against making false claims and misleading advertisements including false student results and promise for top ranks.

Two district level monitoring committees will be formed to watch over compliance and functions. Coaching Centers are not allowed to publicize assessment test results and have to keep them confidential. They must be used as a tool to monitor student performance and students with low performance scores must be given counselling according to the guidelines, states the draft. The new draft will replace the old 2001 version and the public can send recommendations within 15 days of publication. 

Rules Against Fee Scams

The new rules prohibit coaching centers from collecting the entire course fee in one single sum. Parents have to be given the option of paying it in at least four installments. The tuition fee must be reasonable and receipts must be provided. The rules have also allowed an easy exit policy for students who want to drop out. In such cases, the institution has to refund the advance fee for the remaining period on a pro-rata basis within 10 days. The hostel and mess fee also has to be refunded in a speedy manner.

A Regulated Registration Process 

The center has to register on the Seva Sindhu Portal based on their jurisdiction and has to geotag its location on every application. There will be a fee of Rs 15,000 + 5000 Rs for each subject. Every branch of the coaching or tutorial center will be treated as a separate establishment. All necessary approvals must be obtained in the case of hostels for such centers. Any center which is under a franchise will have to submit its registration application to the franchiser on behalf of the franchise.

All these institutions will have a valid registration up to three years with each district deputy commissioner as the registering authority. The commissioner, department of collegiate and technical education will be the appellate authority. They have the power to cancel registrations or impose fines up to Rs 5 lakh for serious non-compliance.

Infrastructure Requirements To Fit The Rules

In order to ensure student safety and compliance of all aforementioned rules, the draft also specifies infrastructure requirements. This includes standard measures to prevent disasters.

•  Every classroom must have 1square meter space per students and 10 square meters for teacher to move around
• CCTV coverage 
• Separate toilets for boys and girls
• Must follow fire safety code, building safety code and other safety standards
• Must obtain fire and building safety certificates and sanitation certificate
• The coaching or tutorial center must be well ventilated and electrified
• Must allow extracurricular activities
• Must have a complaint box
• Can only allow 20-80 students in one class

Conclusion

This initiative by the Karnataka government exposes the dark side of private coaching and the price students and families must pay in the process. In a competitive environment like India where engineering and medical coaching can lead to excessive mental health and physical ailments. This move highlights what states must do in order to streamline negative activities by such institutions. India has one of the highest rates of student suicides in the world and where children succumb to family and institutional pressures. These new rules ensure that children will get to remain children for a little longer.