Private coaching centres under scanner as AP introduces stringent rules

Amaravati: In a first of its kind following concern expressed by the Supreme Court of India following spurt in suicide of students apparently due to stress, the Andhra Pradesh Government has promulgated rules to regulate mushrooming private coaching centres.

In a GO issued by Higher Education Secretary Kona Sasidhar on March 27, the government issued comprehensive rules in exercise of the powers conferred by section 99, read with section 32 of the Andhra Pradesh Education Act, 1982, and in strict compliance with the directions of the apex court in Sukdeb Saha vs The State of Andhra Pradesh. The new rules, inter alia, include maximum five hours coaching per day, no classes during school /college hours, no classes on holidays, compulsory fees refund if a student drops midway through, dispensing with provision to retain original certificates, first violation to attract a violation of Rs50,000 and second Rs1 lakh to reduce stress on the part of the students and to ensure transparency.

In the judgment of Sukdeb Saha Vs the State of Andhra Pradesh & Others in 2025, the apex court has taken judicial notice of the alarming rise in student suicides, attributing this 'systemic malaise' to a distorted educational framework where & ';joy of learning has been ceded by anxiety over rankings, results, and relentless performance metrics.'

The Supreme Court has observed that students in such high-stakes environments are often isolated, lacking adequate emotional support, and caught in a 'web that rewards conformity over curiosity, output over understanding, and endurance over well-being.'

Sasidhar said the government after careful examination of the matter has decided that it is necessary to provide for the comprehensive regulation, registration, and supervision of private coaching institutions in the State to prescribe minimum standards of physical infrastructure, academic operations, and pastoral care; to safeguard the mental health and physical well-being of students, and to establish robust, accessible grievance redressal mechanisms.

The rules to be known as Andhra Pradesh Coaching Institutions (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2026 are deemed to have come into force with effect from the date of their publication in the official gazette. The rules prescribe severe action for academic harassment, undue academic pressure, public shaming or any form of oral or verbal abuse by the teaching faculty, or humiliation based on test scores or performance.

As per the rules, it has been made mandatory for registration and regular monitoring by constituting District Level Monitoring Committees (DLMC) headed by the Collector. The DLMC requires investigative teeth to validate complaints and audit compliance. Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) will be set up as the designated authority for receiving, inquiring into, and redressing complaints of harassment at the coaching center.

Strict punishment is stipulated for public shaming, meaning the act of displaying, publishing, circulating, or announcing a student’s assessment results, marks, rank, or failure in a manner that is visible to other students, parents, or the general public, where such display is likely to cause humiliation, stigmatization, or psychological distress.

The GO said the DLMCs shall have the power to initiate inquiries suo moto (on its own motion) based on media reports, police FIRs, or statistical anomalies in the Annual Compliance Reports (e.g., a sudden spike in student exits.

The committees will be empowered to have access to institutional documents, including financial records, fee receipts, attendance registers, internal emails, and CCTV footage.

The committee can summon and enforce the attendance of any person—including the proprietor, academic directors, wardens, or specific tutors—and examine them on oath.