New Delhi: A parliamentary committee has decided to take a closer look at how coaching centres are expanding across the country and how this is affecting students who prepare for competitive exams. The move comes at a time when concerns are rising over student suicides linked to academic pressure.
The standing committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports will study not only the rapid growth of coaching hubs but also the social challenges connected to them. The committee will also assess how Artificial Intelligence and other new technologies are shaping learning and student life.
As mentioned in a recent bulletin of the Lok Sabha, the panel will review the PM Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme in the 2025–26 cycle. Along with this, it will look into the scale at which coaching centres are operating, the pressures students face, and what laws currently exist to regulate them.
In the past few years, several students taking coaching for engineering and medical entrance exams have died by suicide, especially in Kota, which is often known as India’s coaching hub. These incidents have intensified the debate on whether the system is placing an unbearable burden on young learners.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education formed a nine-member group to study issues related to coaching centres, the rise of “dummy schools,” and whether entrance tests are being conducted in a fair and effective manner. This group is examining how school-level education and competitive exams interact, and how that relationship has contributed to the booming coaching industry.
During the year, the parliamentary committee will also look into policies and trends related to the shutting down of schools. It will review the work and outcomes of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and check what steps are being taken to support the education of linguistic and religious minority communities.
The panel will also seek updates on the government’s work toward setting up the Higher Education Council of India (HECI). A bill to establish this new regulator—intended to replace bodies like the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)—is listed for introduction in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament, starting December 1.
The proposed HECI, a key part of the National Education Policy, aims to streamline higher education governance by bringing different regulatory functions under one framework. Currently, the UGC supervises non-technical higher studies, AICTE oversees technical programmes, and NCTE regulates teacher training.
Additionally, the committee will examine how traditional Indological studies influence today’s education landscape and what role they continue to play in academic spaces across the country.
