The National Independent Schools Alliance – NISA on Wednesday called for stringent action against coaching centres functioning in an unregulated manner across the country.

This comes in the wake of the recent case of three students drowning in the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi. Heavy rains inundated the basement-turned library of the civil services coaching claiming the lives of three students who were trapped without an exit.

“Delhi, the death of students due to drowning in the basement of a coaching centre is not an accident but murder. The coaching owners and the concerned officials should be given the harshest punishment,” the national organisation of budget private schools said in an official note. They also questioned who is to be blamed for illegal commercial activities like coaching in basements.

NISA members complained that coaching classes are being run illegally throughout the country without any license, permission, registration, or recognition but no mechanism has been created to regulate them.

“News of suicides, accidents and other types of undesirable activities in coaching centres keep coming every day. But despite the clear orders of the Supreme Court and the High Court orders, the Central Government or the State Government, due to some fear or greed, is not making any kind of control or law for coaching centres. This is a matter of great concern,” said Kulbhushan Sharma, National President NISA.

NISA demanded that the Central Government should not wash its hands off by merely issuing guidelines. “It is the responsibility of the central government to make the strictest laws for this and ensure that it is implemented by state governments,” they said in a statement.  

Schools also alleged that when there were several types of licenses, recognitions and registrations for even the smallest business, employment, trade or industry or even for opening a play school or primary school, then due to ulterior political motives, coaching institutes have been given a free hand to loot and make profits.

Student suicides

Citing the unending student suicides in Kota and NISA sought to know why there are no regulations for coaching institutes. “This kind of negligence of the central government, state governments and officials is proving to be fatal for innocent children,” they said.

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