Odisha prepares draft bill for private coaching centres' regulation; fines up to Rs 1 lakh to stern action for violation

With an aim to control and regulate private coaching centres in Odisha, the Higher Education Department has prepared a draft bill. The department has sought suggestions from public, professionals, academicians, NGOs, and others in the field of education on the draft bill. The last date to submit response is February 15, 2025.

As per the draft bill for the regulation of private coaching centres, no coaching centre shall be established or run without obtaining a valid registration certificate after commencement of the Act. The validity of registration shall be of three years.

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Conditions for Registration:

No coaching centre shall make misleading promises or guarantee of rank or good marks to parents/students for enrolling them in the coaching centre, or claim to be a registered coaching centre approved by the government or any other agency.

No coaching centre shall be registered if it has less than the minimum space requirement per student.

As per the draft bill, the coaching centres shall have a website with updated details of qualification of tutors, courses, curriculum, duration of completion, hostel facilities and the fees charged, easy exit policy, number of students undertaken coaching from the centre and number of students finally succeeded in getting admission in higher education institutes.

The coaching centres are also required to furnish an affidavit stating that no teacher from any public university, government college or aided college has been engaged.

The draft bill further states that any person or group of persons who want to set up a coaching centre shall have to apply before the district Collector and submit a registration fee of Rs 5000.

Penalties: 

In case of any violation of the proposed Act will invite penalties. In case of the first violation, a centre will have to pay a fine of Rs 25,000, Rs 1 lakh in the second instance and if found guilty for the third time, the registration of the concerned coaching centre would be cancelled.