Rajasthan's New Law on Coaching Centers

Source: Indian Express  

Introduction  

Rajasthan has passed a new law to control coaching centres after 88 students killed themselves in four years, with 70 deaths in Kota alone. The Coaching Centers (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2025 aims to stop coaching centres from focusing only on money and put students first. However, the law has created a big debate about whether it really helps students or just makes things easier for coaching businesses. 

What Constitutional Framework Governs the Passage of Bills in India? 

• The Indian Constitution establishes a comprehensive framework for passing bills through Articles 107-111 of Indian Constitution. 
• Bills can be introduced in either House of Parliament, though Money Bills must originate only in Lok Sabha with the President's recommendation.  
• Both Houses must pass bills in identical form, and disagreements trigger joint sittings under Article 108, where the Lok Sabha Speaker presides and majority vote decides the outcome. 
• Money Bills follow special procedures under Article 109, where Rajya Sabha can only recommend changes within 14 days, and Lok Sabha holds final decision-making power.  
• The Speaker's certificate determining a bill as "Money Bill" remains final and unchallengeable. Article 110 defines Money Bills as those dealing with taxation, government borrowing, Consolidated Fund operations, and related financial matters, excluding fines, fees, and service charges. 
• Presidential assent under Article 111 completes the legislative process, where the President can grant assent, withhold it, or return bills for reconsideration with suggested amendments. Parliament must reconsider returned bills and can pass them again with or without changes, after which Presidential assent becomes mandatory on second presentation. 

How does the law limit the working hours of coaching classes? 

• The law tries to reduce student stress in several ways. Coaching classes cannot run for more than 5 hours a day, and students and teachers must get one day off per week. Centers cannot hold exams right after the weekly holiday. 
• For fees, centres must charge "fair and reasonable" amounts and let students pay in at least four parts. If a student leaves midway, they should get money back based on remaining time. Centers cannot make false promises about getting good ranks or marks. 
• The law says centres must have counselors and psychologists to help stressed students. But critics say this should be mandatory, not just a suggestion. The law also doesn't stop centres from taking students below 16 years old, which goes against central government guidelines. 

How Big is the Coaching Industry in Rajasthan in Terms of Value, Students, And Jobs? 

• The coaching business is huge in Rajasthan - worth ₹60,000 crores with 50 lakh students and supporting 10 lakh jobs. In Sikar, 30-35% of the local economy depends on coaching centres. This big economic impact made lawmakers worried about making rules too strict. 
• Originally, the law was supposed to cover centres with 50+ students, but this was increased to 100+ students. The penalties were also reduced from ₹1-5 lakhs to ₹50,000-2 lakhs. Opposition leaders say these changes show the government is helping coaching businesses instead of students. 
• The law doesn't cover online coaching, even though these provide similar services. It also stops courts from reviewing most decisions, so people can only challenge them in High Court through special petitions. 

Conclusion 

Rajasthan's coaching centre law is the first serious attempt to control this industry, but it seems to balance business interests more than student safety. While it creates some basic standards and oversight, it falls short of strong mental health protection that could prevent student suicides. The law's success will depend on how strictly it's enforced and whether other states follow similar approaches. For now, it's a small step forward, but students and parents hoping for major changes might be disappointed.