Centre issues new guidelines for coaching centers: Misleading ads and false promises curbed

The central government has issued new guidelines for coaching centers, aimed at controlling misleading advertisements. Under these new rules, coaching institutes will no longer be able to promote false claims like 100% selection or job guarantee. This step has been taken when false promises were being made to promote students in the coaching industry, which was having a negative impact on their mental state.

Secretary of Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) Nidhi Khare said that these new rules have been made with the aim of protecting students from misleading advertisements and ensuring transparency in the coaching sector. Now coaching centers will not be allowed to make exaggerated claims about their curriculum, quality of teachers, facilities, fees and refund policy.

In addition, coaching institutes can no longer use pictures of top performing students in their advertisements without the explicit consent of the students. Khare said, “Coaching institutes must now accurately represent the resources and facilities they offer. False or misleading representations will no longer be tolerated. The new rules are designed to ensure that students make informed decisions about where they invest their time and money.”

Under the new guidelines, coaching centers will have to clearly state whether a course is sponsored by the student or paid for by the coaching institute, which will bring more transparency in business. Apart from this, coaching institutes will have to partner with the National Consumer Helpline, so that students can easily complain about unfair trade practices or misleading advertisements.

This move comes after the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) recently imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on Sriram’s IAS. This coaching institute was claiming to be “India’s No.1 Prestigious UPSC/IAS Coaching Institute” in its advertisements and was claiming “200-plus selections” in the 2022 UPSC Civil Services Exam. These claims were found to be misleading in the CCPA investigation, due to which the fine was imposed.

Under the new rules, coaching centers will no longer be allowed to offer any guarantee of success in competitive exams, including confirmation of success in prelims or securing certain marks. The rules are designed to prevent false promises that put students under extreme mental pressure and sometimes lead to tragic consequences.

The government’s decision comes amid growing concerns over the impact of the coaching industry on the mental and physical health of students. Especially in coaching hubs like Kota, students face a highly competitive environment, which sometimes leads to tragedy. In a recent tragic incident in Kota, three students died when an illegal basement classroom got flooded due to heavy rains.

According to reports, at least 17 students in Kota committed suicide last year, which reflects the mental pressure on students. Khare said, “The mental health and well-being of students must be prioritised. Exaggerated promises of success create unrealistic expectations and increase stress, sometimes leading to tragic consequences.”

The new rules also consider it unethical for government officials to participate in the promotion of coaching institutes. Khare has warned civil servants not to enter into any commercial agreements with coaching centers may lead to disciplinary action under the government service rules.

According to reports, the government aims to reduce exploitation of students and restore some degree of faith in the education system through these guidelines. Khare remarked that the focus now is to ensure that students get the right information so that they can make informed choices, giving priority to their safety and well-being.

The new guidelines will bring more transparency in coaching institutes and ensure a safe, mentally healthy environment for students. Now the coaching centers will have to maintain the truth in their advertisements and claims so that the students know the reality and can prepare for their exams without any pressure.