Bill to curb private coaching institutes

NEW DELHI: Equating the practice of capitation fees to a "monster", the government today said it would bring a legislation under which action could be taken against the guilty.

Replying to the debate on a private member bill to check menace of coaching centres, Minister of State for HRD D Purendeshwari said the problem would be addressed to a large extent after implementation of the proposed common entrance test for undergraduate programmes in science and engineering.

Admitting that capitation fee is a "monster", she said that after enactment of the law, institutes would have to justify the fees being charged by them.

After the minister's reply, Mohan Singh ( SP) withdrew his Pre-Examination Coaching Centres Regulatory Authority Bill.

Earlier, while speaking on the bill, Singh expressed concern over mushrooming of coaching centres and stressed the need to establish a strong regulatory body to curb their activities.

Avinash Rai Khanna ( BJP) supported the bill saying, "It is unfortunate that the whole thing (coaching centres) has become a big business."

E M Sudarshan Nachiappan (Cong) said the government has obligation to set up separate coaching centres to meet the demand of poor students.

Demanding ban on coaching centres, Janardhan Waghware ( NCP) said, "The problem is serious. Coaching centres are being run by teachers who have regular job in colleges."

Tarun Vijay (BJP) rued the increased inclination among teachers to join classes and run such institutions despite drawing good salaries.

V P Singh Badnora (BJP) said the Bill was in the "right spirit", while Narendra Budania (Cong) said there was no control over the kind of coaching the institutes provide.

Najma Heptulla (BJP) said budgetary provision for the education sector should be on par with the allocations provided in the defence sector.